Gone
by Bade
Summary: The last story in the Runaway Trilogy. After telling Jeff what she did with Shane, what will happen to the relationship that bloomed years ago between Jeff and Casey?
1. It's Over

A/N: Well, this is the last story. I read the reviews from the last chapter of Without You and it's official, I confused EVERYONE! And without tryin too. Go me, Go me! lol I apologize for doing so. I truly didn't mean to. I hope this sorts some of your questions out. And yes, I know this was a rather short chapter. The next one will probably be longer. Well, READ ON!!!  
  
*****************  
  
I looked at him confused as his smile faded. "I can't do this," Jeff said sadly.  
  
"What?" I asked shocked.  
  
"Jeff, what the hell are you doin?" Matt exclaimed.  
  
"I can't marry you after what you told me," he said shaking his head.  
  
"Jeff, don't do this, please!" I begged.  
  
"You made the biggest mistake of your life. You would have done better to not have told me," Jeff said as tears began to roll down his cheeks. "I loved you so much. I was willing to marry you even knowing that you cheated on me with one of my good friends, just DAYS before our wedding."  
  
"What?!" Matt yelled. "You cheated on him?!"  
  
"I should have known this was going to happen eventually between you and Shane. I should have never left the WWE. I should have never left you two to be together. I was SO stupid!" Jeff yelled.  
  
"No Jeff, don't!" I cried grabbing his hand as he started to walk away.  
  
"Don't touch me, don't talk to me, just don't. I want you out of my house and out of my life," he cried walking away. I collapsed to the ground and cried.  
  
"How could you do this?! You hurt my little brother like this?! And with my best friend," Matt yelled shaking his head at me.  
  
"Matt, please, it was a mistake!" I cried.  
  
"Yeah, no kidding. I think the day I met you was a mistake," he said.  
  
"NO!" I screamed to him.  
  
"Bitch," he muttered following his brother.  
  
"Daddy," I cried reaching for him.  
  
"I'm so disappointed in you," he said. Out of everything that someone could have said, those words from him hurt the most. I felt as if someone had shot me. He walked away as did half the guests.  
  
"Adam," I said hoping he'd be my big brother and help me.  
  
"Don't, just don't," he shook his head at me.  
  
"Trish," I smiled up at her. She said nothing as she and Nora walked away. "Amy?"  
  
"We were gonna be family. Real family. How could you do this?" she said with tears.  
  
"I'm so sorry. You don't even know how sorry I am," I cried as she helped me stand.  
  
"Sorry isn't going to get you out of this one," she said before leaving me. Jessy and Jesse hung their head as they walked by me. There was only one person left.  
  
"You told him?!" Shane yelled.  
  
"I couldn't have married him keeping it from him! Shane, please don't turn away from me now," I cried. He took me into his arms and held me tightly.  
  
"I thought we agreed that this was going to be OUR secret," he said.  
  
"I know, but I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't told him," I replied.  
  
"Well, isn't this a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into," he joked.  
  
"Shane, don't joke about this," I said.  
  
"Sorry. Let's go to Matt and Amy's and sort all this shit out, okay Angel?" he asked. I nodded and we trudged through the field. We walked into the house and were bombarded by Matt.  
  
"Get out of my house!" he ordered pushing both I and Shane out.  
  
"Matt, please, let me in!" I pleaded.  
  
"Not after what you did to my brother! I want you out!" he ordered. Shane walked away calmly and leaned up against his car as I fought hard to get into the house.  
  
"Please, just let me in! I have no place else to go! At least let me change!" I begged.  
  
"OUT!" he screamed, veins popping out of his neck.  
  
"Matt, calm down and let her in to change," Amy said calmly holding her husband's hand tightly.  
  
"Fine, but then I want her out," he growled storming into the house.  
  
"Thank you Ames," I said.  
  
"No problem. You're still one of my best friends. I'm gonna see what I can do about letting you stay here," she smiled.  
  
"You're a Goddess," I said. She nodded at me and I quickly ran upstairs to my room to change into my other clothes. I was sitting on the bed, waiting for her, hoping for good news when she came in shaking her head. "I guess he's throwing me out too?"  
  
"I'm sorry. I did get him to let you stay the nite. But he doesn't want to see you," she said as I started to cry again.  
  
"I'm such a horrible person. I have no place to live Amy. I'm all alone," I cried onto her shoulder.  
  
"I know. Everything will be fine though," she whispered. "I'm gonna go make sure Matt's not throwing things."  
  
"Tell him that I still love him and he'll always be my big brother," I smiled to her as she left my room.  
  
As soon as she left I grabbed a suitcase and pulled out all the clothes I had there, throwing them in the case. No one wanted me there any more so I was going to see to it that I wasn't going to be there. I was going to runaway, again. What else could I do? I had lost everyone because of the shit I did with Shane. Everything was my fault and there was nothing I could do to fix it, so running away was the only thing I knew to do.  
  
"Case?" Shane said to me walking to my room slowly.  
  
"Shane," I nodded at him not stopping my packing.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"I'm leaving," I replied.  
  
"Leaving?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, leaving, for good. I'll be out of your life and everyone else's," I said looking at him.  
  
"NO! You can't runaway! I won't let you!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Shane, what else should I do?! I've fucked up everyone's life including yours. You should be glad to see me leave," I argued.  
  
"I'm not letting you runaway again. Not by yourself," he said.  
  
"Oh, what, are you going to come with me?" I asked sarcastically.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes. If you leave, I go with you," he said seriously.  
  
"Shane, you have a job. A career that you love. If you leave you'll screw everything up for yourself," I tried to reason with him.  
  
"You love that same job. I'm not letting you runaway by yourself," he said. "And that's final."  
  
"Shane, you can't throw what you've accomplished away for me."  
  
"You wanna bet?"  
  
"I won't let you."  
  
"You have no say in what I do. You're not leaving without me. It's too dangerous out there by yourself. So if you're going to leave, you're going to have protection."  
  
"Well, I certainly can't stay here. I have no place to live, no family, no friends."  
  
"What the hell am I?!"  
  
"You're Shane."  
  
"Thanks for noticing. But you're not alone. Not like you were before. You have me. And I'm gonna make sure you know that I'm there for you."  
  
"Fine. I don't have the energy or strength to argue with you," I sighed closing the case.  
  
"Good. So where are we off to?"  
  
"Go pack some things and come back to pick me up at 3:00 in the morning when everyone's asleep and we'll sneak out of here. I don't know where to go, but we'll go anyways," I said.  
  
"Alright. I'll be here. I'll flash the headlights to let you know that I'm here," he said running out of the room.  
  
"Here I go again," I sighed.  
  
**************  
  
I had avoided Matt all nite and everyone else as well. Everyone had crashed early due to all the shit that had happened. I sat by my window waiting patiently for Shane. If he didn't show by 3, I was going to jump in my mustang and go without him. I wasn't going to wait around. Then right on the button, Shane flashed his lights. I grabbed my stuff and sighed as I looked around the room for the last time. I had my Simba and the kangaroo Shane had given me. Those were the things I knew I'd need most, along with all the CD's Jeff had made me. Pictures were thrown in my bags carefully, mostly of Jeff and I. I knew I wouldn't love anyone else like I loved him. I just hoped a part of him realized how much I truly did love him. I quietly left the house, leaving Luna behind. That was hard. She meant the world to me. But there was no way I could take her on a trip to God only knows where. I didn't leave a note or anything, just left. I threw my bags in the trunk of the car and sat in the passenger seat.  
  
"Ready?" Shane asked.  
  
"Just one stop, please?" I requested taking off my engagement ring.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Shane asked. I nodded at him and we drove to Jeff's.  
  
I climbed out of the car and saw most, if not all, of my stuff sitting on the deck. Tears instantly sprang forward. I quietly walked in the house and up the stairs, into the bedroom. Jeff was fast asleep, hugging a pillow. I looked up at the ceiling, at the Amy Brown picture he had given me, and my heart broke. As crazy as this is going to sound, a song stuck in my head. It was the song that always seemed to be going when Angel and Buffy had a problem or even just spoke to each other on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And I suppose the song fit perfectly for the moment. I crawled into the bed next to him carefully and wrapped my arms around his waist.  
  
"Mmm, Casey," he moaned continuing to sleep. He shifted a bit and I smiled as most of his hair pulled out of his ponytail. I placed a soft kiss on his lips and smoothed his hair back out of his face. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too," I whispered as I climbed out of the bed. I looked at him for the last time and placed my engagement ring on the nitestand. "I never wanted any of this to happen. Jeff, you're the world to me. You'll always be in my heart." Backed out of the room and ran down the stairs.  
  
"You okay?" Shane asked placing his hand on my knee as I fastened my belt.  
  
"No, but I will be," I replied resting my head on the window as we drove away.  
  
I had fallen asleep not much after we left Cameron. I didn't know where we were when I woke, but the sun was shining and Shane had turned the radio up loudly, singing along, terribly off key. I sat up, my neck cramped up badly, and squinted from the sunlight.  
  
"Mornin sunshine," he smiled at me.  
  
"Stop bein so chipper," I growled.  
  
"Sorry," he laughed. "How was your nap?"  
  
"Nap?! Dude, I've been asleep for 8 hours. That's longer than a nap."  
  
"Ah, true," he said.  
  
"So, where are we?" I asked looking around at the endless highway scenery.  
  
"Well, we just crossed into Nashville," he answered. "So, what do we do?"  
  
"Go to the airport and cash in my honeymoon tickets."  
  
"Are you sure you want to do that?"  
  
"Positive. I mean they won't be any use to Jeff and I now," I joked sadly. "So where do you wanna go?"  
  
"Got your passport?"  
  
"Always."  
  
"Italy," he smiled.  
  
"You read my mind," I smiled. 


	2. Leaving on a Jet Plane

A/N: Okay, first off, I wanna tell ya'll that I'm in a fuckin pissed off mood as I type this. Second, my best friend Jessy, SUCKS! Lol Ya'll know how she's getting married this weekend, well shouldn't I be the maid of honor since EVERYONE likes me, I've known her since she was 4, and we been friends for like EVER!? Yeah, I'm not. Jesse's fuckin little sister, who NO ONE likes, is the damn mother fuckin maid of honor. So fuck this whole wedding. I don't even wanna go. Okay, onto story business. I get the feeling that I'm still confusing people. Is that true? I think ya'll got confused when I went from Jeff's wait onto telling you people what happens YEARS later. That was just the best way to set up this story. That's why I did it. I suppose if ya'll have more questions about it, ask me in your reviews and I'll see if I can explain things better without actually telling you the outcome of things. Or IM me or e-mail me or something. And whoever suggested listening to "Serenity" by Godsmack while reading that last chapter, not a bad idea. I never thought to use it. I just kept hearing the Angel/ Buffy song during that chapter. I don't know why, just seemed to fit and there had been someway to put audio sounds in chapters, I would have done it. Um, I think that's it. On with the chapter.  
  
**************  
  
Jeff yawned as he climbed out of his bed the next morning. He was shocked to have found me not in bed with him, forgetting what had happened the night before. He slowly walked down the stairs and outside in his boxers and examined all my stuff he had thrown out of the house. He sighed and slowly started bringing everything back in the house.  
  
While Jeff was moving me back into the house, Matt was pounding on my bedroom door, yelling, "Casey, get your ass outta bed! I have to talk to you!" He did this a few times before taking it upon himself to walk in. "Casey, get," he stopped short and stared at my empty bed, finishing his sentence quietly, "up." He looked around my room and noticed that some of the shelves were empty, drawers were empty and opened, and my closet was half empty. "AMY!"  
  
"What?! Jesus, Matt, there are tons of other people sleeping in this house!" she yelled slapping his shoulder. He just pointed around my room and stared at her with his arms crossed. "Oh shit. Where the hell is she?!"  
  
"I don't know. But she's not here and there's no note," Matt replied.  
  
"What's goin on?" Adam asked sticking his head through the door with Michael in his arms.  
  
"Casey's gone," Amy answered.  
  
"What do you mean she's gone?!" Adam exclaimed causing Michael to cry. "Oh Jesus Christ. Where the hell could she have gone?!"  
  
"Call Shannon," Amy said pointing to the phone on my nite stand. Matt quickly called Shannon and shook his head when Shannon responded with a no about me being there or knowing where I was. "Try Jeff's. Maybe she's over gathering her stuff." Matt nodded to her and called his brother. When there was no answer, everyone started to get worried.  
  
"Where the hell is she?!" Jeff cried bursting into the room. Matt slammed the phone down and looked at him.  
  
"We don't know. We were just trying to get a hold of you to ask you the same thing," Matt said.  
  
"She fuckin left her engagement ring on my nite stand," Jeff said holding the ring out.  
  
"Oh Jeff, I'm sorry," Amy said walking over to hug him but he pushed her away.  
  
"I want to know where she is," Jeff said roughly.  
  
"Honey, if we could tell you, we would," Amy replied as Shannon joined the group of them.  
  
"Find her?" he asked worriedly. They all shook their heads at him. "Did anyone call her cell phone?"  
  
Matt jumped right on the phone and they started hearing the cell phone ring I had been using since I got it. Amy walked over to the dresser and picked up my ringing cell phone. "Why would she leave her cell phone here?!" Amy exclaimed. "How the hell are we supposed to know she's alright?!"  
  
"Maybe she doesn't want us to know. Maybe she doesn't think we care enough to want to know," Adam said softly sitting on my bed.  
  
"You don't think she ran away, do you?" Shannon asked.  
  
"That's exactly what I think happened," Matt said.  
  
"Call Shane, maybe he knows something," Jeff said, his voice shaking as he said Shane's name.  
  
"No answer," Matt said hanging the phone up.  
  
"They fuckin left together!" Jeff yelled throwing the ring at the wall. Amy rushed to pick it up and slipped it in the pocket of her pajamas.  
  
"You don't know that," Shannon said.  
  
"Oh please, do you think I'm that stupid?!" Jeff exclaimed. "Whatever, I'm goin home. If you hear anything from her, let me know." Jeff walked away leaving the others shocked.  
  
***************  
  
"I can't believe we're going to Italy," I said with a smile as we sat in the terminal waiting for our flight to be called.  
  
"Yeah, it's going to be awesome. We'll go to Italy for a week. Travel around, go to Venice, Rome, and wherever else. Then on to Greece to visit the ancient ruins. Then to France and spend sometime in Paris. Then England. We're going to have a wonderful time," Shane replied excitedly.  
  
"Do you think they're looking for us?" I asked.  
  
"Huh?" he questioned.  
  
"Do you think they've noticed we've left and are looking for us?" I repeated myself. Shane slipped his arm around my shoulders and rubbed them gently.  
  
"I'm sure they are. Maybe we should call them and let them know we're alright," Shane suggested.  
  
"NO!" I exclaimed. "No, we're not calling them. Hell, I don't know if I even wanna go back."  
  
"Casey, we have to go back at some point."  
  
"If you want to go back, fine, but that doesn't mean I'm going to."  
  
"Casey, we did something that shouldn't have happened. But that doesn't mean that they don't love us and care about us."  
  
"They hate me."  
  
"No they don't."  
  
"Then why'd Jeff kick me out?!"  
  
"Because you slept with his friend."  
  
"And YOU slept with his fiancé!"  
  
"Jesus Christ Casey. Do you not think that I didn't realize that?!"  
  
"I have one question for you. Were you really so drunk that you didn't realize what was goin on? Or were you sober enough to know well enough what was goin on, but didn't care because of your feelings for me?" I asked angrily.  
  
"What the fuck?! Of course I didn't know! Do you honestly think I'm that horrible of a person?!"  
  
"Well sometimes I just wonder. I mean you haven't exactly been secretive about your feelings for me. You tell me everyday that you love me."  
  
"Because I do. AS A FRIEND. I can't love you anymore than that because you don't love me anymore than a friend. Gees, I'll just stop telling you that, how's that?!"  
  
"Whatever!"  
  
"Flight 311 to LaGuardia is now boarding."  
  
"Well, it's now or never," I said throwing my bag over my shoulder.  
  
"It's now. Italy here we come!"  
  
"With a plane change in New York," I laughed as Shane grabbed my hand and we headed for the gate. "Shane."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I love you," I smiled.  
  
"I love you too," he replied kissing my cheek.  
  
**************  
  
"Jeff, you doin okay?" Shannon asked stepping over some of my stuff to get into the bedroom.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Jeff replied his back facing Shannon as he stared at the wedding bands.  
  
"I'm sorry about everything that happened."  
  
"Not your fault."  
  
"Yeah, but doesn't mean I can't be sorry."  
  
"Shannon, I had the weirdest dream last nite. I swear she was with me last nite."  
  
"What was it about man?"  
  
"Well, I was sitting here on the bed, after all the shit that happened at the wedding, and in walks this thing. I didn't know what it was at first, but as it came closer, I realized it was a rainbow. So the rainbow knelt down in front of me and held my hands. It spoke to me. And the minute it spoke, I knew who it was. It was Casey. But she still looked like a rainbow. So anyways, she's holding my hands and apologizing for what she did. I sat there and listened to what she had to say and in the end I forgave her and we ran away to get married at some little chapel. Then I woke up this morning and realized she wasn't here. But I would have sworn that she was here holding me in the middle of the nite and telling me she loves me and kissing me. But she wasn't. So I then realized that I can't live without her. I love her too much. I'm going to have to make some changes so that I can trust her, but I want her to move back in. Well, I bring her stuff back in and found her ring. I just wish we could find her and tell her," Jeff sighed dropping his head into his hands.  
  
"Are you serious about having a rainbow dream?" Shannon laughed.  
  
"Why are you laughing at my sad pathetic life?"  
  
"Because Casey's constantly having rainbow dreams. She's insistent on sayin that the rainbow isn't you. But we all know it is. She's been havin them for YEARS!" Shannon explained.  
  
"I've been havin them since she and Shane started dating."  
  
"If I remember rightly, that's when they started for her too. Dude you two are meant for each other. It's obvious. If these dreams aren't enough proof, then I don't know what is."  
  
"Yeah, well, now she's run off with Shane. God only knows when or even if I'll ever see her again."  
  
"Knowing Shane, he's probably just keeping an eye on her anyways. Making sure she doesn't get hurt or something. I'm sure they'll be back. They can't stay way forever. They have jobs."  
  
"I don't think she even cares. Ya know, she ran away the first time and left notes."  
  
"Yeah, that she was gone and to not contact her, she'll contact them."  
  
"Well, she couldn't even be bothered to do that!"  
  
****************  
  
I was walking down a long dirt path, it was dark and I had a hard time seeing where I was going. I was by myself and didn't even know where I was going. I could tell I had been crying, but wasn't sure why. And then it happened. "You broke my heart. How could you do that?!" There was a familiar voice and I turned to it. "Hello?!" I yelled. "You were my one true love. I would have given my life for you!" The voice spoke again. I turned around again and saw it. The rainbow was standing at the end of the path. "Who are you?" I asked. "Why'd you do this to me?" the rainbow asked starting to back away as I got closer. I stared at it as it slowly faded away.  
  
"Oh my God," I said as I sat up straight. I was confused for a second before I realized we were flying over the Atlantic Ocean.  
  
"You okay?" Shane asked.  
  
"Yeah, fine. Just had a bad dream, that's all," I replied turning to look out the window.  
  
"Another rainbow dream?" he asked.  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"I can read your mind, remember?" he laughed.  
  
"It was telling me that I broke it's heart and asking my why did what I did to it. Shane, I must be a horrible person or something. This damn rainbow is constantly haunting me!"  
  
"You're not a bad person, Angel. You're an Angel. Your ankle says so!" he laughed.  
  
"I wished you stop joking like that sometimes."  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to make you laugh. I hate seeing you so upset."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't be so upset if you had stayed OUTTA ME!!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Casey, stop throwin that at me. I'm sorry okay. If I could take it all back, I WOULD! But I can't, so move on!"  
  
"Yeah, well, I can't move on. You don't have to worry about losing the one you love. I DO! And I have!"  
  
"I don't have to worry about losing the one I love?! Fuck you Case. I already have! And you know what? I picked up and lived on quite well thank you."  
  
"Fuck off Shane. You're such an asshole."  
  
"I'm an asshole. Ya know, maybe I should have just let you runaway by yourself."  
  
"Yeah, maybe you should have!" I screamed as I stood up in a huff and stepped over him to go to the bathroom.  
  
"Shit," Shane muttered to himself following me. He knocked on the bathroom door and began to speak to me. "I'm sorry, Angel. Okay? I didn't mean any of that. You know that I didn't. You just make me so mad sometimes." The door suddenly opened an elderly lady walked out. Shane looked at her shocked and turned to the bathroom behind him seeing me standing in the door way crying. "Oops."  
  
"Are you done making a fool of yourself?" I asked sniffling.  
  
"Yeah, for the moment anyways," he smiled.  
  
"Good, then can you hug me?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, of course." He walked to me and wrapped me up in his arms. 


	3. The Call

"Where the hell is Casey?! It's been 3 weeks and she's still a no show!" Vince yelled cornering Shannon in the hall.  
  
"Sir, um, we don't know where she is. She still hasn't gotten in touch with us and neither has Shane. But if any of us hear anything from either of them, we'll be sure to let you know," Shannon replied.  
  
"Tell her that she's fired if she doesn't come back in the next week. I don't care if she's the most popular Diva we've got! She's wasting my money! I will NOT have this happen to me!" Vince growled as the veins in his neck started to pop out. He gave Shannon one last threatening glare and walked away.  
  
"Dude, we SO have to find Case and Shane," Shannon said walking into the men's locker room.  
  
"I keep trying but all I get is Shane's voice mail on his cell phone. They're both gonna lose their jobs if they keep this shit up!" Matt said, throwing his towel down on the bench next to him.  
  
"Yeah, Vince said that he's going to fire her if she's not back in the next week," Shannon said sitting down. "Have you been leaving messages?"  
  
"Oh hell yeah! By the ton load!" Matt laughed. "And no one's still heard anything from them."  
  
"I just want to know where they are, ya know?" Shannon said shaking his head.  
  
"We'd all like to know that little bit of information," Matt said patting his friend on the shoulder before walking into the showers.  
  
"Still no word on Casey or Shane, huh?" Trish asked Amy as they changed for their matches.  
  
"Not at all. They're really starting to worry me," Amy said.  
  
"Didn't you guys find Shane's car in the parking garage in Tennessee?" Nora asked tying up her boots.  
  
"Yeah, but God only knows how long it's been there," Amy sighed.  
  
"I'm sure they'll show up sooner or later," Stacy spoke trying to comfort the girls.  
  
"Hopefully sooner rather than later," Trish nodded at them all.  
  
***********  
  
"Shane, I'm so glad we saved Paris for last," I smiled as we gazed up at the Eiffel Tower.  
  
"Yeah, it's absolutely breath taking here, huh?" Shane replied. He sighed and turned to look at her.  
  
"Oh no. I know that sigh and look. What's up?" she asked crossing her arms and tilting her head.  
  
"Case, I have SO many voice messages from Matt, Amy, Shannon, and even Jeff. Don't you think we should call one of them to let them know we're alright?" Shane asked.  
  
"Shane, we've been through this!" I exclaimed throwing my arms down at my side as I started to walk away.  
  
"Casey, please, I think we should! I mean, we're goin back this weekend," Shane said grabbing my arm pulling me back to him.  
  
"Watch the tattoo, it's still sore dumbass," I groaned referring to the new tattoo on my left bicep of a crescent moon with a shooting star going around my arm.  
  
"Sorry, I forgot. I forgot that you were stupid and decided to get ANOTHER tattoo!!" he laughed.  
  
"And don't forget about my eyebrow bein pierced," I reminded him. He rolled his eyes at me and wrapped his arm around me.  
  
"Scared about goin back?" Shane asked as we started our walk back to the hotel.  
  
"Um, about us goin back this weekend," I said softly biting my lip.  
  
"What about it?" he asked stopping us on the sidewalk.  
  
"I'm not," I replied looking up into his dark brown eyes.  
  
"Casey, I'm not leaving you to roam the streets alone!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Shane, I don't have anything to go back to!" I exclaimed running after him as he crossed the street.  
  
"Honey, you have to come back with me," he pleaded. "I don't want to have to worry about you."  
  
"Where am I supposed to live?! I've been kicked out of everyplace I called home!" I said.  
  
"Come live with me," he smiled.  
  
"No, I don't want to do that," I replied.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about us."  
  
"Angel, for the past month we've been sleeping in the same hotel room and in the same bed in some places. How would I get the wrong idea about us if we're living together and not when we're together like this?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe it's time I got my own place. Like an apartment," I said throwing myself on the bed in the hotel room.  
  
"Maybe. But until you get one, you can come live with me," he smiled throwing clothes at me to sleep in. "I'll see you in the morning, babe." He kissed my forehead before slipping into the bed fully clothed. I shook my head at him and changed before slipping into my own bed.  
  
Sometime during the middle of the nite, Shane had gotten up and grabbed his cell phone. He walked out onto the balcony and called Matt.  
  
"Hello?" Matt asked with a yawn. He'd been answering any phone call just in case it was Shane or I, and in this case, he got Shane.  
  
"Matt?" Shane asked cautiously.  
  
"SHANE?!" Matt exclaimed sitting straight up in bed and turning the light on. Amy leaned over Matt's shoulder, trying to hear every single word being said. "Where the fuck are you?! Is Casey there?! Are you alright? Are you coming home?!"  
  
"Matt, calm down. Casey and I are both fine. We've been traveling the world. Doing all the shit we've wanted to do, but never had the time to do it. It's been an amazing experience, man," Shane replied.  
  
"Where are you two?!"  
  
"I'm not going to tell you anything else. Not our location and not when or even if we're coming home. Because at this moment in time, that's still up in the air. Casey just needed to get away and I couldn't let her runaway by herself. She needed to know that there was someone that hadn't turned their back on her like ya'll did," Shane said.  
  
"Shane, you have to look at this from our position. What else were we supposed to do? Forgive and forget?! I couldn't do that. She cheated on my little brother with my best friend. Man, how would you have reacted if in our shoes?"  
  
"I know it was hard to take in. But you have to look at things from her perspective as well. We don't even remember what happened. We're really just assuming that IT did happen. She's scared, alone, and just not herself. At least she wasn't when she left. She's slowly becoming herself again. It's taken pretty much this whole time."  
  
"Well, Vince has threatened to fire the both of you. In fact he's refusing to pay you two until you've worked all the time you've missed. You guys have to come back. If you don't, you'll be out of a job."  
  
"Matt, we're fully aware of that. You gotta tell me something. How's Jeff?"  
  
"My brother is devastatingly depressed. From being cheated on and then having the woman of his dreams run out on him. It's amazing he hasn't gone to drastic measures yet," Matt sighed in response. "Casey needs to talk to him. Just so he can hear her voice!"  
  
"Not gonna happen man. She's sure he doesn't want anything to do with her."  
  
"Can you really blame him for that if it were true though?!"  
  
"No, I can totally understand it. I'm just telling you how it is."  
  
"Shane?" I called.  
  
"I gotta go, Casey's up."  
  
"Shane, tell me if you're coming back or not."  
  
"I gotta go. We're safe, that's all you need to know. Bye Matt." Shane hung his phone up and walked into the room.  
  
"What were you doing out there?" I asked covering my mouth mid yawn.  
  
"Just looking at the stars," Shane smiled.  
  
"Is mine out there?"  
  
"Always," Shane replied slipping back into his bed.  
  
****************  
  
"Matt, where is she?!" Jeff exclaimed pacing his house.  
  
"I don't know. Bro, trust me, if I knew you would know," Matt replied covering his free ear so that he could hear Jeff better over the phone.  
  
"Ya know, fuck this shit. I'm sick of all of this. I'm done with her. We're through completely. I want nothing to do with her. If she can't have the decency to contact me or anyone of us, than she obviously doesn't love us as much as she claims to," Jeff said with a sick laughter.  
  
"Dude, are you okay?" Matt asked worriedly.  
  
"As okay as I'm going to get considering all the shit I've been through this past month," Jeff replied. "Later brother!"  
  
"JEFF!" Matt yelled hoping he hadn't hung up yet. When all he got was a dial tone he hung up as well and shook his head. "My brother has officially gone loco," Matt spoke to himself as he stared at the phone.  
  
"I'd say it's the other way around, honey," Amy laughed.  
  
"Jeff's given up on Casey," Matt sighed.  
  
"Can you blame him?"  
  
"Not at all. I would have given up the first nite if I was him."  
  
"But you're not."  
  
"Damn straight I'm not. Besides, I wouldn't be able to work the orange and purple hair," Matt joked kissing his pregnant wife's cheek. "When are we going to tell people Ames?"  
  
"I told Vince this morning," Amy smiled. "He was a little upset that I didn't tell him last month. But he's happy for us. He's taking me off the roster and putting me on as some sort of announcer or interviewer."  
  
"Good, then you won't have to leave me," Matt smiled.  
  
"Nope, not until I'm into the pregnancy further."  
  
"So we've still got another 5 months," Matt replied as they walked down the steps of the arena towards the ring.  
  
*****************  
  
"Shane, I don't think I can do this."  
  
"Casey, we haven't even gotten on the plane yet!" he laughed.  
  
"I know, but I don't think I can do it," I repeated myself.  
  
"You're doing it and that's final!" Shane demanded.  
  
"Why must you treat me like I'm 5?!"  
  
"Why must you act like you're 5?!"  
  
"Are you calling me a child?!"  
  
"Yeah, sounds that way to me!"  
  
"Fuck you Shane," I growled storming past him to take my seat on the plane.  
  
"Works everytime!" Shane smiled as he followed me.  
  
****************  
  
A/N: Sorry for how short this chapter was...........I really had nothing for it, and I'm still REALLY drained from the worst wedding I was ever at. Although Jessy was very upset that I left the reception........I hugged her and she started crying hysterically and wouldn't let me go. As much as this has all pissed me off and as much as I hated being in and at the wedding this weekend, I have to admit that I'm going to miss her like hell. It's gonna be hard to let go of her. She almost made me cry a couple times. And we just laugh about it cause we have that effect on each other. When you have that kind of bond with someone, don't let it go. And don't neglect that person for anything. Because they'll be with you till the end. And I mean look at Jessy and I. Best friends since day one. Sharing crushes, boyfriends (don't ask we were in the first and second grade lol), secrets, FAMILY (we're both a part of each other's family it's kinda scary at times. Her mom even yells at me if I do something stupid! Lol), and just everything else. I can always sense when she's upset, and although she can't always do that with me, I know that she still cares and shit. And it showed this weekend when she was hysterical and didn't want to let me go when I was leaving. She's not even leaving till Feb, and I'm not leaving till like January. So I don't know what she was so upset about. But we've been through so much shit in 14 years, there's no way we could let each other go. Anyways, just don't let that person go for ANYTHING. If you fight about something, let it go. Make up and always remember what you two shared. It'll keep ya'll together for a life time. Anyways, I'm done telling ya'll bout my pathetic life. The next chapter will be much more interesting. Oh, go check out my new story, The Twin. It won't be updated as much as this one probably will be, but I still think it's pretty good. Ya'll know me well enough to know that it's got the Hardyz (major part), Shane Helms (HELLO!! Major duh! Lol), Amy Dumas, Shannon Moore (just cause he's so damn adorable!), Lizzie (yes, making another appearance in a Donna original), and MANY MANY others to come! 


	4. Forgive Me

A/N: I just wanted to let ya'll know that I think I'm gonna put The Twin on hold for a little while. Well, until I get settled into this story more. So probably for about a week or so. So that's for those of you who were reading that story. And I'm really being talked into doing the sequel to Connection. A really good friend wants me to do a sequel. So I'm thinking bout it. Although with the dream she had, she could do the whole thing herself...........ya hear that chica?! Lol Anyways, here's the next chapter. I used Evanescence's song "Forgive Me" in it. I absolutely love that song and it just totally fits.  
  
**************  
  
"Casey, wake up, we're almost there," Shane said nudging me awake. I lifted my head off the car window and yawned.  
  
"Shane, we're in Cameron. What the hell are we doin here?" I exclaimed looking out the windows.  
  
"Well, I figured it'd be easier to get some of your stuff now to move into my house," he answered.  
  
"I thought I'd just have you do it for me," I said.  
  
"Like you did to Shannon and Matt the day after you broke up with me?!" he laughed. "I don't think so! You're so gonna help here!"  
  
"Fine, but just know that I don't like you right now," I sulked.  
  
"Sweetie, you've told me that 5 times on the drive here, 10 times on the plane from Paris, and oddly, once in your sleep," he replied smirking at me as we pulled into Matt's driveway.  
  
"Shane, seriously, I don't want to do this," I said as he turned off the car.  
  
He sighed and unhooked my seatbelt before getting out of the car and walking over to my side. He opened the door and pulled me out. "Tough. Deal with it," he said dragging me up the steps to the door. I crossed my arms as he knocked on the door.  
  
"Well, looks like no one's home. Too bad," I smiled sarcastically starting to walk away as we heard steps through the house. Shane grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt and pulled me back to him just as the door opened. I looked up at Matt as he stood there looking shocked to see me. "Hi Matt." I bit on the inside of my lip as he continued to stare at me.  
  
"Oh my God," he spoke softly. Surprisingly, he wrapped me up in his arms, lifting me off the ground. "I'm so glad you're home!"  
  
"You are?" I questioned as he put me done.  
  
"We've all been worried sick about you two. Where the hell have you been?!" he asked.  
  
"Um, Italy, England, France," I replied as he pulled me into the house. I grabbed Shane's hand and pulled him with me. We all sat down in the living room and stared at each other.  
  
"I'm so glad you're alright," Matt smiled.  
  
"Why?" I asked.  
  
"What do you mean why?" he asked.  
  
"When you heard about what happened, you told me you thought it was a mistake to have met me," I said looking past him so I wouldn't have to look into his eyes.  
  
"Case, I was so upset that you would do something that.........bad," he said. "But that doesn't mean that I didn't love you. When you left we were all scared and upset. We didn't know if you were alive, dead, or otherwise."  
  
"I guess I'm sorry," I said softly.  
  
"I don't care. I'm just glad you're back," he smiled at me.  
  
"Well, I just came to pack up my stuff," I said.  
  
"What?! Why?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Everyone's kicked me out. I'm gonna stay with Shane until I can find an apartment," I replied.  
  
"No, you can stay here. Casey, we've all gotten over what happened. We don't want you to leave. You're family," he said placing his hand on my knee gently.  
  
"I think it's for the best," I nodded at him moving my leg out from under his hand.  
  
"Oh, okay," he said hurtfully. "If you really feel that way, I understand."  
  
"Well, I should probably go over to um, to Jeff's and get that stuff," I said as tears started to form in my eyes. "Is he home?"  
  
"Yeah, he's home," Matt replied as I stood.  
  
"You gonna be okay?" Shane asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," I nodded at him, leaving the house.  
  
****************  
  
I walked down the road slowly, my head down, fighting with the tears that were coming. I had replaced the engagement ring with the claddah ring Jeff had given me one Christmas, and I stared at it as I walked. I wondered how he was going to react to seeing me and if he would push me away. Many times during that walk I was tempted to walk right back to Matt's, but somehow I continued to walk and I eventually made it. I looked up at the house that held fond memories. It was like a vacation slideshow going through my head, as each memory came into view. I wasn't sure if I was to just walk in or knock when I reached the door. I took the first choice and just walked in, being greeted by a VERY excited Luna. I knelt down to pet her and she happily licked my face. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. As if in slow motion, I looked up and saw him.  
  
'Can you forgive me again?  
  
I don't know what I said  
  
But I didn't mean to hurt you'  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked with a stone look on his face of anger.  
  
"I, um, I came to get my stuff," I struggled with my words as I stood, looking at the anger on his face. "Jeff, I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Don't. I don't want to hear it!" he exclaimed meeting me at the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Please Jeff, just listen to me!" I cried collapsing to my knees and grabbing his arms. He pulled me up and kissed me roughly.  
  
"Do you know how much it hurt me that you left without so much as a goodbye?!" he yelled at me.  
  
'I heard the words come out  
  
I felt like I would die  
  
It hurt so much to hurt you'  
  
"I'm so sorry! But you had kicked me out! No one wanted anything to do with me!" I argued.  
  
"And so you ranaway with HIM?!" he screamed.  
  
"He cared for me when I thought no one else did!!"  
  
"But you didn't bother to stick around to see if anyone cared or not, did you?! No, you just picked up and left!! What the hell were we supposed to do?!"  
  
"Why does it matter?! It's not like you love me anyways!" I screamed.  
  
"You fuckin slept with him!" he screamed back.  
  
"AND I'M FUCKIN SORRY!!" I screamed so loudly I thought that we may have gone deaf. But then I realized that he had stopped speaking. He wasn't yelling at me and he wasn't screaming. He just looked at me, a tear running down his face.  
  
'Then you look at me  
  
You're not shouting anymore  
  
You're silently broken'  
  
"Casey, sorry doesn't exactly cut it this time," he said.  
  
'I'd give anything now  
  
to hear those words from you  
  
Each time I say something I regret I cry "I don't want to lose you."  
  
But somehow I know that you will never leave me, yeah.'  
  
"What can I do to make this all right again?" I asked.  
  
"I don't know if there is anything you can do," he sighed smoothing back his ponytail.  
  
''Cause you were made for me  
  
Somehow I'll make you see  
  
How happy you make me'  
  
"I don't know if I can be without," I cried.  
  
"And I don't know if I trust you enough to be with you," he said truthfully.  
  
"Jeff, you're my world. You're everything to me!" I cried.  
  
"And you were that to me. But then you cheated on me! And then you just up and left. Casey, I can't trust you. It's as simple as that. And at this moment in time, there's nothing you can do to gain back my trust," he said.  
  
'I can't live this life  
  
Without you by my side  
  
I need you to survive'  
  
"Then I guess we're through, huh?" I asked quietly, looking down at the floor.  
  
"Yeah, I think so," he replied. "It wouldn't be a healthy relationship for either of us if we weren't through."  
  
"Yeah, I guess your right," I said.  
  
'So stay with me  
  
You look in my eyes and I'm screaming inside that I'm sorry.'  
  
"God, Casey, I love you so much," he said raising my head with his hand.  
  
"I love you too Jeff. So much and I know you don't believe me, but it's true," I said.  
  
"I do believe that you love me. There's no doubt in my mind that you do," he smiled at me. "Casey, I know that we're not together, but I still want you to be my bestest friend ever."  
  
"You do?" I asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, cause I know I can't live without you being in some part of my life. I'd rather you be my friend than not be in my life at all. So if you need me, I'm here. Always and forever," he said.  
  
"And I'll be the same for you," I smiled as we stood in the hall hugging tightly.  
  
'And you forgive me again  
  
You're my one true friend  
  
And I never meant to hurt you'  
  
******************  
  
"I don't want to do this meeting with Vince. He sounded totally pissed on the phone," Shane said shaking his head as we sat in front of Vince's office at Titan Towers.  
  
"And you think I wanna do this?! I really don't need this kind of pressure right now," I said.  
  
"Alright, come on in you two," Vince said opening his door for us. Shane and I looked at each other and took deep breathes as we stood and walked in. "Shut the door behind you and have a seat." We did as we were told and stared at him, full of fear. "I want you both to know that what you two did was unacceptable. And I will NOT tolerate ANYONE of my superstars to get away with doing something like that. I should fire the both of you!"  
  
"Sir we're immensely sorry. We just had to get away from it all," Shane spoke holding my hand tightly.  
  
"I understand that. And if you had explained it all to me, we could have arranged something. I believe I'm a very fair man, but you two leaving for a month when you're at the top of the roster is just not tolerable!"  
  
"So does this mean we're fired?" I asked fighting hard to keep tears from slipping down my face.  
  
"Fortunately for the two of you, no," Vince said. "I'm not firing you two today, but I don't want to hear that you've done anything like this again. You'll be on a probation type deal. You'll sign in with the guard at the door to the arena we'll be at and you'll sign out after the show."  
  
"Thank you sir. That's very fair of you," Shane smiled.  
  
"Well, we have to talk about storylines. Since you two up and left we've had to change you're characters. Shane, you'll be coming back as a heel. We played you up as if you were injured. You'll come back demanding to take the Cruiserweight belt from Rey. Of course you'll lose, building up your heel status more."  
  
"What about Mystic Angel?" I asked.  
  
"Dead," he said.  
  
"WHAT?!" I yelled.  
  
"Well, we told the crowd that Mystic Angel received serious injuries that are career threatening from the hardcore match with Rhyno. So we think we want you to come in as like her twin sister," Vince explained.  
  
"That makes NO sense! The fans aren't that stupid," I said.  
  
"Maybe not, but that's what's going to happen. So be thinking of a character name and look. Once you've done that, let me know and we'll get you back on in a couple weeks," Vince said. "That's all. You two may go."  
  
Shane and I shook Vince's hand and left. We were driving to the airport in silence. I spoke once we boarded the plane. "This fuckin sucks! I'm Mystic Angel. I can't be anyone else!"  
  
"I know. But you'll be fine. I'm sure you'll think of someone really awesome," Shane smiled.  
  
"It's gonna be so hard to give her up though," I sighed.  
  
"Do you want me to help you think of a new character?" he asked.  
  
"Nah, I'll think of someone. Or Jeff will help me," I replied.  
  
"I'm glad you and Jeff sorted things out to become friends," Shane said softly.  
  
"Yeah, me too. I don't think I would have been able to stay around without him in my life. Seriously, I probably would have moved someplace else. Like in a different state and never returned to North Carolina," I laughed.  
  
"You would have left me?!" Shane exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I mean, I just............Shane, Jeff and I were meant to be. I'm sure even you could see that," I said.  
  
"Well duh! Of course I saw how compatible you to were. I'm not blind! But we're such good friends you would throw that away because you and Jeff weren't friends?!" Shane argued.  
  
"Shane, I'm not doing this. Just stop," I demanded.  
  
"Whatever Case. What fuckin ever," he said slumping down in his seat. I rolled my eyes at him and started looking though a magazine. 


	5. Altercations

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been busy working on another story. That's right, keep on the look out for the sequel to Connection. It's gonna be a collaboration and done in POV. I'll be writing in Cinder's of course, and GoddessInBondage will have the privilege of writing in Lizzie's POV, only fitting since she is her character. Lol That should be up anytime now. It's called United Paths, so please go check that out and review. We'd really appreciate it. Ummm, that's it. Here's the next chapter! OH!! Damn, I forgot to mention something. To reviewer Kelly, why did I name the story Gone? Um, well, one reason is because she left in the beginning, but there's more to it. You'll see by the end of the story. I can't tell you exactly why, but you'll see. Oh, and I used Godsmack's "Moon Baby" in this chapter for the new entrance music.  
  
**********  
  
"Thanks for doing my hair," I said as Jeff rinsed out the remains of the dark blue dye.  
  
"No problem. That's what friends are for right," he smiled weakly at me.  
  
"Yeah, what friends are for," I replied with a sigh.  
  
"So, Bade, huh? That's pretty cool," he said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm kinda excited about it. She's a little more dark than what I'm used to, but should be fun," I smiled.  
  
"Well, the colors certainly work well for you. Dark blue and silver," he nodded wrapping my hair in a towel.  
  
"Yeah, I thought so too. I'm just glad Vince went along with it all," I said.  
  
"Well, you're not really going too far from Mystic Angel," he said.  
  
"Maybe not, but she's still different. Angel was more innocent and angelic, whether she was good or evil. There's nothing angelic or innocent about Bade," I shook my head as we went to sit in the living room.  
  
"Case, are you in love with Shane?" he asked. I gave him a weird look of shock and shook my head.  
  
"What?" I asked almost laughing.  
  
"It's a simple question. Are you in love with Shane?" he repeated.  
  
"No, I love him, but I'm not in love with him. Why?"  
  
"Were you in love with me?"  
  
"Of course Jeff, where are you going with all this?"  
  
"If you were in love with me."  
  
"I'm still in love with you," I interrupted.  
  
"If you're in love with me and only love Shane, then why would you have sex with him?" he asked.  
  
"Oh God. Jeff, Shane and I were so drunk we're not even positive we did have sex. We're just assuming we did by the way we woke up."  
  
"How can you not be positive about something like this?!" Jeff exclaimed.  
  
"Jeff, the last thing I really remember is complaining to Shane after the signing about how I was sick of everyone hating me cause I broke up with you on the show," I said. "Everything after that, is pretty much a blur."  
  
"I just don't understand. If you loved me as much as you said you did, you wouldn't have slept with him, drunk or otherwise," Jeff said angrily.  
  
"I thought we went through this already!" I sighed.  
  
"I just can't help thinking about the fact that you cheated on me. I'm sorry," he replied sarcastically. "You are in love with him. That's got to be the only reason for your actions."  
  
"Jeff I'm not in love with him. I admit that I do love him. A part of me always will. But I don't want him. You're the only one I really want!" I yelled.  
  
"Well, that's too bad. Cause now you don't even have me," he said walking up the stairs.  
  
"Where are you going?! You have to finish my hair!" I yelled up after him.  
  
"Finish it yourself! I can't look at you right now," he replied.  
  
"He's never going to forgive your ass. Deal with it," I said softly to myself.  
  
*****************  
  
"Rhyno, how does it feel to know that you put, arguably, the best Diva to date in the WWE in retirement?" Josh Matthews asked Rhyno in the hall during Smackdown.  
  
"How does it feel?" Rhyno laughed. "It feels great! I'm very proud to have been that person to put her out of commission. She should have known better than to dance with the boys."  
  
"You destroyed this young woman's career in one match! You don't feel any remorse? She could have been a legend!" Josh said.  
  
"She should have just stuck to fighting the women," Rhyno said smugly, the hardcore belt hanging over his shoulder.  
  
"Well it's been a month since you ripped the belt from Mystic Angel's hands, and no one's challenged you to a match for the belt," Josh said.  
  
"Yeah, well, tonite, I'm putting out a challenge to everyone. Tonite, I'm going to go out to that ring and stand in the middle of it for 3 minutes. If anyone wants to challenge me for the belt then, come out to the ring before the time is up. If no one comes, then I become the Undisputed WWE Hardcore Champion," Rhyno smiled before walking away.  
  
"I heard about your altercation with Jeff this weekend," Amy said while I laced up my boots.  
  
"Yeah, well, whatever," I said walking to the mirror. I tightened my ponytail of dark blue and silver streaked hair before pulling the long sleeved black fishnet top over my silver sports top. I reached for my silver star belt and pulled it through the loops of my black baggy jeans with sliver crescent moons.  
  
"I thought you two were friends," she said.  
  
"Yeah, I thought so too, but I guess not," I replied.  
  
"Do you want to be friends?"  
  
"No, what I want is for him to be my husband. But that's not going to happen because I fucked up. Now can we get over it?!" I exclaimed angrily before walking out. I stormed off down the hall and stood by the techs in the gorilla. I watched the monitor, and saw a counter in the corner, counting down from 3 minutes. Rhyno was standing in the middle of the ring smiling smugly as no one dared to walk down to the ring to challenge him. I grabbed a microphone just as the counter hit 1 minute.  
  
'Let's take a blast to the moon baby  
  
I sit around wishing you well  
  
how I'm craving you, yeah!  
  
Every time I'm near you  
  
I always wanna swallow you down  
  
I'll be right here if ya' need me  
  
In my life, I'll need you here, don't ask why  
  
I'll never disappear  
  
why is it everyday that I feel the pain?'  
  
When the song started, Rhyno got on the attack mode, ready to spear anyone that might threaten to enter the ring. I walked out into the darkened room and strobe lights started. I stood at the top of the ramp, no expression on my face. The crowd was silent, not sure what to think.  
  
"Who the hell is this fine young lady?" Tazz questioned.  
  
"Tazz, my sources are telling me that this is Bade, the twin sister of Mystic Angel," Cole replied.  
  
"Well there certainly is a likeness," Tazz grinned.  
  
'Let's take a trip to the stars far away  
  
where were you when I was down?  
  
Staring into the dead  
  
my pain is caused by my pleasure  
  
my soul mate lives in your body  
  
I can't get you out of my head  
  
It never goes away'  
  
"Why Rhyno, you look as if you've seen a ghost!" I joked. He shook his head furiously at me. "BOO!" I laughed.  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" he yelled.  
  
"I'm the twin of Mystic Angel. Scared?!" I said.  
  
"Not in the very least. Didn't you hear? I made her retire," he smirked.  
  
"Oh yeah, I heard that. That's why I'm here actually. See there's a rumor going around that you're looking for someone to challenge you for your Hardcore title. Well, since you beat my sister for the title. I'm going to beat you! Rhyno, I challenge you to a WWE Hardcore Championship match!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Bring it on! I'll do to you what I did to your sister!" Rhyno cried throwing down his mic. I started to run down the ramp and stopped short to introduce myself.  
  
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," I said clearing my throat. "Now entering the ring, from Brooklyn, New York. She's the twin sister of former WWE Diva, Mystic Angel. She is going to be the next WWE Hardcore Champion, BADE!!!" I threw the mic down and slid into the ring only to be kicked down by Rhyno and the match was on. By the end of the match I had been through 2 gores and a horrible shoulder thrust. In the end I had lost the match, but not without some blood shed and some very exciting action.  
  
I walked to the back, holding my bleeding arm tightly. I followed Terry to the first aid and he was instantly stitched up without anything to numb the area on his forehead.  
  
"Ready?" Nick asked holding my arm tightly in his hands.  
  
"Um, you are SO not doing that to my arm! I'd rather bleed to death than have you give me stitches without something to numb the place," I said gripping my arm out of his hands. He laughed at me.  
  
"I know, I was just joking with you," he smiled. "Liquid stitches?"  
  
"If at all possible," I replied. He nodded and grabbed the small tube.  
  
"So, what happened anyways? I didn't get to see the match. I was too busy taping up Paul's ribs," Nick said applying they gooey solution to my arm.  
  
"Terry threw me through a table and I gashed my arm on the wood," I explained.  
  
"And Terry's cut?"  
  
"Blade," I said simple. "He bladed after I hit him with a broken mop handle."  
  
"Ah, I see. Good match?"  
  
"Oh hell yeah. Thought it would have been better if I had WON!" I said emphasizing my words.  
  
"Yell at Vince, not me," Terry laughed getting off the bench. "I'll see you later Kid. Awesome match."  
  
"Yeah, you too," I smiled. "He's a good guy."  
  
"Very good guy," Nick said. "Alright, I think they should hold. But if you start to bleed again, get to an emergency room. It's a pretty deep cut. So the liquid stitches might not cover it."  
  
"Alright, thanks again for patching me up," I smiled.  
  
"Anytime," he replied watching me leave the room.  
  
"So, do we have to rush you to the emergency room?" Shannon joked.  
  
"No we don't have to rush me to the emergency room. Gees, I'm not gonna kill myself on my first nite back," I snapped.  
  
"Just thought I'd ask. Cause I mean, we are talking about you. Miss Clutz," he laughed.  
  
"You're such a dork! I hope your baby girl doesn't pick up anything from your side of the family," I said punching his arm lightly as I walked by him.  
  
***************  
  
"So, are we still happy living here?" Shane asked sitting down on the couch next to me as I flipped through the newspaper looking for apartments.  
  
"Yeah, I'm happy, but Mo's not too impressed," I laughed watching Luna growl at the cat who was trying desperately to catch a cat nap.  
  
"Ah well, he'll get used to it. Hey, have you seen Oreo by any chance?" he asked.  
  
"The last time I saw him was yesterday when Luna was chewing on his tail," I replied seriously.  
  
"Haha," Shane said flipping the tv on. "I hear you're not talking to Jeff."  
  
"Yeah, he doesn't want to see me right now. So I figure give him some space," I shrugged my shoulders before sticking my head in the paper once again.  
  
"It bothers you though, doesn't it?" he asked.  
  
"No, gees, why would it bother me?" I laughed.  
  
"Because you've been mopping around like you've lost your best friend. And you have, so it all makes sense," he said.  
  
"Alright, it bothers me a little bit," I said.  
  
"So go to him and talk," Shane suggested in a demanding way.  
  
"No, Shane, I can't deal with that kind of rejection. If he wants me back in his life, I'll be more than happy to be there," I said standing. "Oh and Oreo? Yeah, you shut him in your closet this morning. You might want to let him out." I smiled and walked up to my room.  
  
"In my closet?" he asked himself. "Oh shit!" He quickly stood and ran up to his room. 


	6. Here Without You

A/N: Okay, this chapter may be a little confusing. You'll find out eventually why I say that. But it'll all makes sense, eventually. The song I used in this chapter is "Here Without You" by 3 Doors Down. Read the lyrics carefully, they'll help you make sense of the chapter. That's all I can tell you right now.  
  
******************  
  
"What's love got to do, got to do with it?" I sang bouncing down the stairs. He stood at the bottom of them with his hands placed on his hips, smiling up at me. His hair was brushed off his gorgeous face, allowing me to see his deep eyes.  
  
'A hundred days have made me older  
  
since the last time that I saw your pretty face'  
  
I leaped off the second to the last step into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist and laughed as he swung around in a circle, into the living room, and fell back onto the couch. I kissed him deeply and moaned contently into his mouth.  
  
"What's love but a second hand emotion," he smiled at me. I laughed and rested my head on his chest, bringing my hand up into the light to examine my wedding ring. "Oh good God. You must stare at that thing 40 times a day!"  
  
"Because it's so damn beautiful. Don't make fun of me!" I pouted slapping his arm as I sat up on his stomach. He grabbed my waist and threw me down on the floor carefully, staring down at me.  
  
"I'll tell you what loves got to do with it. Absolutely everything," he grinned and pinned my arms to the floor, taking my mouth under control with his. When he finally let me go, I was practically out of breath.  
  
"Whoa," I breathed.  
  
"Yeah, I know," he said smugly letting me free.  
  
"Egotistical jackass," I smiled sitting up next to him.  
  
"You always know the right things to say!" he exclaimed wrapping his arms around me and bringing me into his lap to kiss me once again. "Besides, you get all hot and bothered when I'm forceful."  
  
"Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby!" I cried sarcastically.  
  
"Alright, lets go drop off Nichole and go to the beach," he said pulling me to my feet.  
  
"But she's sleeping. If we wake her up now Matt and Amy will have our heads!" I smiled.  
  
"Hey she's their daughter not ours!" he said carefully picking her up out of the play pen.  
  
"How would you like it if they had our baby and woke him or her up just so they could go to some beach and fuck?" I asked softly as Nichole, the 18 month old baby, opened up her brown eyes. I looked at him holding her gently and safely in his arms and couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.  
  
'A thousand lights have made me colder  
  
and I don't think I can look at this the same'  
  
I just shook my head and grabbed our bags before we left the house. Jeff strapped her into the car seat. At Matt's, I carried her into the house, but didn't get very far when Amy rushed to me and grabbed my niece out of my arms.  
  
"Thank you guys so much!" Amy smiled as Matt came walking down the stairs in a pair of boxers.  
  
"Have a good afternoon bro?" Jeff asked grinning knowingly.  
  
"Oh yeah, the best in months," Matt smiled nodding his head slowly.  
  
"Was she any trouble?" Amy asked setting the baby in the living room on her little rug to play with toys.  
  
"Oh no. She's never any trouble," I answered.  
  
"So, what are you two newlyweds up to this afternoon?" Matt winked at Jeff.  
  
"Well, we're going on a semi-honeymoon before I have to hit the road. Then after these two months of touring, we'll have a real honeymoon," Jeff smiled gripping my hand tightly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm gonna be all alone in the house without him," I pouted only causing him to kiss me quickly.  
  
'But all the miles had separate  
  
They disappeared now when I'm dreaming of your face'  
  
"Well, it's not like I'm goin anywhere's. And Crystal's around. Her pregnant ass can't go many places right now," Amy laughed.  
  
"I'm so shocked that they're having another baby," I said.  
  
"Yeah, well, this one wasn't planned," Amy said.  
  
"Leave it to Shan," Jeff nodded proudly.  
  
"Come on baby, we're gonna be late if we don't get going," I smiled.  
  
"Thanks again for watching Nichole for us," Matt smiled wrapping his arm around Amy as they waved to us.  
  
"I love you," I smiled putting my hand on top of his as we drove down the highway.  
  
"I love you too," he smiled.  
  
"Ya know, I was kinda skeptical about getting married in that church in Vegas. Ya know, just you, me, Matt, and Ames. But I'm glad we didn't wait longer," I said.  
  
"Me too, but Dad is so pissed we just up and got married," he laughed.  
  
"Maybe so, but this is our life, not his," I said.  
  
'I'm here without you baby  
  
but your still on my lonely mind  
  
I think about you baby  
  
and I dream about you all the time'  
  
"Yeah, it's OUR life. We're one now. Not two different people, but one person," he smiled. "We're a whole. We're clicked together until the end of time. We're......."  
  
"Alright baby, I get it! We're in love!" I laughed interrupting him.  
  
"Yeah, that'll work," he joked. He sighed deeply and a small smile crept across his face.  
  
"What?" I questioned.  
  
"I'm just glad you're mine. I really thought I was going to lose you there for a while," he said glancing over at me.  
  
"Jeff, you always had me. You never ever lost me," I smiled running my hand down his face.  
  
"Yeah, but you and him and all that shit," he said frowning.  
  
'I'm here without you baby  
  
but your still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight it's only you and me'  
  
"Jeff, I thought we were going to put all that behind us and move on. Never to speak of any of it again," I said.  
  
"I know, but sometimes I get to thinking, and I wonder why you did leave everything for me," he said.  
  
"Because I love you. And we were made for each other," I smiled.  
  
"You and him were attached. I don't understand how you separated yourself from him."  
  
"Jeff, it's over and done with. I really don't want to go through this. Baby, we've got one nite to make special, do we truly want to do this now?" I asked.  
  
"No, but sometimes, I don't know. I just think way too hard I suppose."  
  
'The miles just keep rolling  
  
as the people either way to say hello  
  
I heard this life is overrated  
  
but I hope it gets better as we go'  
  
"Well, then I suggest you stop thinking," I joked.  
  
"Yeah, maybe I should," he smiled. "Ya know what? From now on, if I start acting like a wacko, hit me."  
  
I looked at him and tilted my head in thought. I bit on my lip as I fought a smile. I gently slapped his shoulder and resumed my position in my seat.  
  
"What the hell was that for?" he asked getting off on an exit.  
  
"You said to hit you if you start acting like a weirdo. So I did," I replied.  
  
"You better watch it when we get to the hotel. And you'd better hope that water is just the way you like it, cause other wise you'll be freezing your little butt off," he smiled.  
  
"You wouldn't dare," I said as he parked the car.  
  
He turned to me, grinned, and laughed. "Try me."  
  
My eyes bugged out of my head as I quickly undid the seat belt and jumped out of the car. Running as fast as I could away.  
  
'I'm here without you baby  
  
but your still on my lonely mind  
  
I think about you baby  
  
and I dream about you all the time'  
  
I ran onto the beach and stopped when I didn't hear him behind me. I huffed and puffed, trying to catch my breath. I stood up straight and was lifted up into large arms. I was being carried into the water quickly. I screamed through my laughter as Jeff through me into the cool Atlantic water. I stood up in the water, seaweed stuck to my arms and legs. I wiped the ocean water out of my eyes and stared at him angrily.  
  
"Did you forget that I'm the queen of pranks? I know it's been a couple years since you've seen me in action and really it's been a year since I've even done a prank. But I'm still just as good at them as I ever was," I said threateningly.  
  
"Baby, I don't think you have the guts to pull a prank on me," he smiled.  
  
I laughed as I trudged through the water to the shore, my shoes making squishing sounds as I moved. "Honey, if that's what you think, then you don't know me as well as you think you do." I walked to the car leaving him waist deep in the water thinking about my words. I knew him well enough to know that his mind was reeling of all the possible tricks I could pull on him.  
  
"Um, Case, um, you're joking right? You're not really gonna pull something on me, are you? Cause what I did was all in good fun," Jeff said walking into the hotel after me.  
  
"Fun for who?" I asked.  
  
"Okay, so it was fun for me. But seriously, are you gonna do something?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. Haven't decided yet. So if I was you, I'd keep an eye open at all times," I smiled taking the room key from the receptionist.  
  
'I'm here without you baby  
  
but your still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight girl it's only you and me'  
  
"I love you baby," Jeff cried as he carried our bags into the room.  
  
"Uh-huh," I said. "Ya know who probably wouldn't have done that to me?"  
  
"Casey, don't," he warned me.  
  
"Hmm, there's 5 letters in his name," I said.  
  
"Casey," he growled.  
  
"And he goes by his middle name mostly," I said.  
  
"Case, don't you say his name," Jeff said angrily.  
  
"I love you," I smiled wrapping my arms around his neck.  
  
'Everything I know, and anywhere I go  
  
it gets hard but it won't take away my love  
  
And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done  
  
it gets hard but it won't take away my love'  
  
"You'd better say that," he pouted slamming the door shut before pulling my head into his and kissing me deeply.  
  
"And tonite I plan on showing you just how much I love you," I replied seductively biting on my lip.  
  
"Oh, yeah," he smiled. He gently bit on my lower lip before lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the bed. He leaned over me and started leaving trails of kisses down my neck and across my shoulders.  
  
"Mmm, your lips, I love those lips," I cried.  
  
"Wanna hear something funny?" he stopped to look up at me with his question.  
  
"What?" I exclaimed aggravated.  
  
He wiggled his eyebrows and replied, "So do I."  
  
'I'm here without you baby  
  
but your still on my lonely mind  
  
I think about you baby  
  
and I dream about you all the time'  
  
"Because......they......live.....to.....kiss.......you," he said between kisses.  
  
'I'm here without you baby  
  
but your still with me in my dreams  
  
And tonight girl it's only you and me'  
  
**********************  
  
I slowly opened my eyes and rolled over in strong arms. I smiled taking in a strong sent of sex and cologne. I looked into his soft strong chiseled face and sighed. His dark brown hair wasn't the spikey normal look, it had lost that hours ago in the heat of passion. His tan body was pressed up against mine protectively and a slight smile was on his face. I kissed his eyelids, his nose, and his cheek until I found my way to his lips. Pressing against them slightly, I felt him twitch a bit.  
  
"Finally it happened. I'm so glad you let me be with you," he said quietly, so that even as close as I was to him, I could barely hear him. He opened his bright blue eyes and stared deeply into mine.  
  
"Randy, I'm so glad I decided to sleep with you. It's everything I ever pictured it would be," I replied.  
  
"Casey, you're so wonderful," he breathed. I nestled into him closer and hugged his body tightly as we fell back to sleep.  
  
***********  
  
A/N2: Alright, so did any of that make sense? Like I said, if you read the lyrics close enough, you'd get it. If you don't understand, let me know in the reviews and I'll explain it in the next chapter. Although the next chapter, when I do it, will probably shed some light on the subject. 


	7. Alone

A/N: Okay, I'm laughing hysterically at your reviews. Ya'll hit it on the nail. It was all a dream. Lol And the thing about Randy, NO she did not marry him. Lol That was one unexpected question. And that wasn't an "I'm just kidding chapter", sorry Kelly. Lol And Randy is not going to become abusive. I already did the whole abuse story line in Connection. lol And MichiSpiritChan, I picked Randy because he's SOOOO hot. Lol I have an obsession with that boy. Mmmmm, yummy.....Yeah, so anyways, that's why I picked Randy, plus they had already kissed in the elevator that one chapter in Without You. So it only made sense. Anyways, here's the next chapter.  
  
**********  
  
"Alright, so where were you last nite?" Trish asked as I did a last minute look around in our room to make sure we had packed everything up.  
  
"Guess," I smiled.  
  
"Were you with Randy?!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, I was with Randy," I replied.  
  
"You didn't sleep with him, like sex wise, did you?" I nodded at her and her eyes popped right out of her head. "What the hell are you thinking?!"  
  
"Shh, Trish, I'm sure there are people sleeping on this floor!" I said.  
  
"Casey, don't you ever want to get Jeff back?" she asked.  
  
"Trish, I've given up on him. We don't even talk now. Why should I wait for him when I've got a great guy like Randy around wanting me?" I asked.  
  
"Because you and Jeff were meant to be. Case, you're never gonna get Jeff back if you date these guys. I mean before Randy there was Rene, which I still don't understand, and there was also a little tiny fling with John. If you want him back, you gotta make yourself available," Trish said as I slung my bag over my shoulder.  
  
"Trish, I was lonely and depressed and miserable for 2 months. Am I supposed to be unhappy for the rest of my life?!" I exclaimed. "I refuse to hold my breath any longer for Jeff. He obviously doesn't want me back. And as for Rene, he's a sweetheart and it just seemed right for that month. And John, he's been wanting to ask me out for awhile now, I thought I'd go out with him a few times, but we're just friends."  
  
"Why Randy? Ya know, I could see you with Shane, but not Randy," she said.  
  
"Making up what we lost when we first dated," I answered as we walked down the hall of the hotel to the elevator. "Do you remember that day that he and I were stuck in that elevator?"  
  
"Yeah, why?" she asked as we stepped, ironically into that same elevator.  
  
"Well, we kissed in, well, here," I laughed.  
  
"You kissed?! While you were with Jeff?!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, well, it was just a spur of the moment type thing. When we patched up our problems, we kissed," I shrugged as the doors opened and Randy walked in. I smiled, craning my neck so that I could kiss him.  
  
"Fancy meeting you in here," he laughed.  
  
"Mmm, I know. Kinda scared of bein in here actually," I laughed.  
  
"I know how you feel," he smiled wrapping his arm around my waist. He looked over a Trish and smiled. "Hey Trish."  
  
"Hi," she replied coolly as the doors opened to the lobby. She quickly grabbed her suitcase and wheeled it behind her as she walked away.  
  
"What's her problem?" Randy asked as we headed out into the sunlight.  
  
"She's pissed cause I told her that the elevator we just came out of was the elevator we kissed in that blackout," I replied.  
  
"Oh, um, you sure that's a good thing to tell people? I mean you were with Jeff when it happened," he said throwing my bags into the rental car.  
  
"I don't care anymore. It's not like Jeff and I even talk anymore. He's like out of my life now," I sighed.  
  
"But you're not happy about that," he said as we drove towards the airport.  
  
"Am I that transparent?" I chuckled. "No, Randy, I'm miserable without him."  
  
"Aw, babe, I wish there was something I could to make you two friends again," he said.  
  
"I wish there was something too," I sighed.  
  
"Um, you sure Shane is going to be alright with me coming home with you?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't see why not. It's not like he's stopped bringing girls over."  
  
"Okay, cause I don't wanna screw things up between you two too."  
  
"You won't don't worry," I smiled.  
  
"Case, we've been going out for a month now," Randy stated. "Is it too soon to tell you that I think I'm falling in love with you?"  
  
"Yeah, Randy, I think it is," I replied softly. "Sorry."  
  
"Nah, don't be sorry. It's okay," he replied smiling slightly as we walked into the airport.  
  
"Hey John!" I smiled waving to him across the terminal. He looked up and started walking over to us. I met him half way and hugged him tightly. "Going home?"  
  
"Yeah, thank God," he laughed. "How you doing? Haven't seen you in like a week."  
  
"I'm good. You?" I asked.  
  
"Alright, a little worn out, but not too bad," he replied as Randy walked up to us.  
  
"What's up Cena?" Randy smiled friendly.  
  
"Randy," he nodded roughly. "I'll see you two later." He walked away, leaving me standing with Randy confused.  
  
"What was that about?" I asked. "I thought you two were close friends."  
  
"We were. He's not too happy with me going out with you. He won't hang out with me anymore or anything," Randy replied rolling his eyes. "Oh well, ya know? I can't help it if things just worked out better for the two of us in the end."  
  
"Oh," I said softly boarding our plane. I glanced back at John and tilted my head, giving him a small smile. He shook his head and pulled his head phone up over his ears.  
  
*************  
  
"Sleep well?" I asked as Randy slowly made his way into the kitchen. His pajama pants hung low on his waist. His hair was all over the place and his blue eyes were blotchy and red.  
  
"I don't know what cat that was, but if I go to sleep tonite and they attack my foot again, I will not be held responsible for my actions," he yawned tiredly as I handed him a cup of coffee.  
  
"That was probably Mo. He's kinda got an attitude problem," I smiled. "But don't worry, tonite you'll be sleeping with me." I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my head against his bare chest.  
  
"Yeah, well, good. Although I'm still not sure why I couldn't last nite," he said.  
  
"Shane's a little too overprotective of me and wouldn't let you. But I talked to him this morning before he left to hang out with his brother and he gave in," I explained.  
  
"And that cat won't be allowed in, right?" Randy asked pulling away from me.  
  
"Nope, none of the animals will be allowed in my room tonite," I winked at him.  
  
"Sweet," he smiled. "So what's on the agenda today?"  
  
"I figured we'd take it easy and curl up on the couch to watch some movies. Shane's got MILLIONS of movies to choose from," I laughed leading him into the living room.  
  
"He's a slob," Randy said seriously. I burst out laughing and we sat on the couch. I nestled into him and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, but half the mess is mine," I replied. "You learn to live with it."  
  
"Yeah, um, not me," he shook his head as I turned the tv on.  
  
All day Randy and I relaxed on the couch, not bothering to change or anything. Shane came home later that nite and watched a movie with us before he went to bed. We followed not long after, but didn't sleep. There was too much activity going on in that room to sleep.  
  
The next day the three of us flew out to Boise for a house show. Randy battled Chris and won to keep the Undisputed title. Shane tagged with Jay and lost to Rey and Tajiri. Then there was me. I wrestled Benoit for the Intercontinental title and lost. Vince was punishing me, and punishing me hard. I hadn't won a belt since I lost mine before the none existent wedding. It had been 5 months since then. I wasn't even winning that many matches. I was quickly becoming a low carder and I hated it.  
  
About a week later I was flying home by myself to nurse a concussion I got from a hardcore match that I lost. It was the worst time I had in the longest time. I was in Shane's house by myself, and that made it so big. No one was home, yet so I had no one to hang out with. What was I truly supposed to do with my time. I went driving one boring day and somehow found myself sitting in Jeff's driveway. Both the truck and corvette were there, so I knew he was home and not off recording or something. But I couldn't talk myself into going into the house. I just sat in my car watching the house. Eventually Jeff walked out, but stopped immediately when he saw me sitting in the driveway.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked harshly as I rolled down the window.  
  
"Um, well, that's a good question. Only I don't have an answer. I don't know why I'm here," I answered him.  
  
"Then you should leave," he said.  
  
"Yeah, I should. But something is keeping me here," I replied.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You," I responded looking into his eyes. He shook his head and leaned on the car.  
  
"Go home to be with your boyfriend," he said. "And yes, I do know all about you and Randy."  
  
"I'm not surprised."  
  
"Yeah, well, couldn't really expect you to wait for me anyways," he said.  
  
"Wait for you?" I asked. "You wanted me to wait for you? To do what?!"  
  
"To forgive you."  
  
"Oh. You would have?"  
  
"Of course Case. We both know that our lives are nothing without each other. I know eventually I'd be able to forgive you, it'd just take awhile. But now that you're dating, I guess I might as well too. You must be over me."  
  
"Jeff, I'm far from being over you."  
  
"Has Randy told you he loves you?"  
  
"He's come close to it."  
  
"Have you told him?"  
  
"No."  
  
"And why's that?"  
  
"Because I only love you," I answered biting on my lips to stop myself from crying.  
  
"I figured that'd be your answer," he smirked. "I've got things to do. You should leave."  
  
"Yeah, alright," I said turning the car on. Jeff leaned in through the open window and grabbed my face. He kissed me deeply.  
  
"I wanted you to leave with something to remember me by," he said. "I love you Case."  
  
"I love you too," I sighed as I backed out of the driveway left him watching me leave. "God Casey, what the hell were you thinking by going to his house?" I asked myself. "Obviously you weren't thinking. Cause if you were, you wouldn't have gone there." 


	8. Porno Flick

A/N: Okay, plug time. I just got back from the opening nite of a really good movie with my friend, Amy. I suggest you all go out and see Underworld. It's really good. Some of the fight scenes are really good and there's quite a few hotties. And to Kelly, Randy and Casey aren't going to be a long time thing. You'll see what I mean. And I believe people had a probably with it in Runaway too. So you're not the only one that doesn't like them together. Oh, and I'm the lucky person to get a fuckin online stalker. The damn asshole just keeps making up new screen names to harass me with. lol But anyways, here's the next chapter.  
  
***********  
  
"Oh no. I know that look," Trish said as I threw my wrestling gear into my bag after a long nite.  
  
"What look?" I asked looking up at her.  
  
"That's the look you get when you're gonna break someone's heart," she replied crossing her arms.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Case, you're gonna break up with Randy tonite, aren't you?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, alright, I'm breaking up with Randy tonite," I sighed.  
  
"Well, that's been like a record for you lately, a whole month and a half," she joked.  
  
"He just freaked me out okay? He told me he loved me last nite while we were having sex," I said. "And I'm not ready for someone to love me again."  
  
"Unless that someone is Jeff, right?" she asked.  
  
"Well, yeah. Remember when I got that God awful concussion and had to go home to nurse it?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Well, I was bored one day and went out driving. Somehow I ended up at Jeff's. Well, before I left he kissed me. And I mean he KISSED me."  
  
"I told you that you should have kept yourself available for him."  
  
"Yeah, he told me that too," I muttered as we walked out of the locker room together. We walked down the hall together and met Randy by the men's locker room.  
  
"I'll see you later," Trish smiled at me as she quickly hurried off. Randy shook his head at her and leaned down to kiss me, but I turned my head and he kissed my cheek.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked curiously. I looked up at him and sighed. "Uh-oh, I don't think I like this."  
  
"Randy, I'm not ready to be in a serious commitment. Randy, you're a great guy and deserve someone better than me," I said.  
  
"But I want you," he stated.  
  
"I'm sorry. I can't do this," I replied.  
  
"I figured this would come sooner or later. You're just too hung up on Jeff to be with anyone else right now," he said. "I wish you'd change your mind, but I understand."  
  
"You do? You don't hate me?"  
  
He smiled at me and held my hands. "Nah, I can't be mad at you anymore. I love you too much for that."  
  
"Thanks," I smiled reaching up to kiss him quickly. "I'm gonna go see if I can catch a ride with Shane. I'll see you Saturday."  
  
"Yeah, bye Case," he said watching me run off.  
  
"You broke up with him already?" Shane asked as I caught up to him at the car.  
  
"How'd you know that?" I asked as he took my bag from me. He pointed to his head and smiled. "Ah, yes, you're wonderful mind reading abilities."  
  
"That's right. You seem to underestimate them," he joked opening the car door for me. "You didn't even give him a chance."  
  
"Shane, I gave him as much of a chance as I could. I'm too in love with Jeff. You know that, he knows that, EVERYONE knows that," I said as I watched the street lights whirl by the car.  
  
"What's it going to take for you to get over Jeff?"  
  
"I don't think I'll ever get over him."  
  
"What's it gonna take to get him back?"  
  
"Another question I don't have an answer for."  
  
"Well, Angel, I think you better do something soon, cause frankly, you're depressing Mo."  
  
"Oh gees, how can you tell?"  
  
"Instead of his normal meow, he yelps," Shane said. "Such a sad thing to happen to a cat." I laughed at him and rested my head against the window. "I'll wake you in a few hours when we get home."  
  
"Uh-huh," I yawned falling asleep fairly fast.  
  
***************  
  
I threw my keys on the table in the kitchen late the next nite. I had just gotten back from Crystal and Shannon's baby sitting, Willow. Shane was home, which was quite unusual since it was only midnite, and he had a tendency to stay out late hunting for chicks. I started to walk by the living room and I heard loud familiar moans coming from inside. I gave a disgusted cringe to no one as I started to walk by, but I couldn't stop myself from looking inside. The only light in the room was coming from the tv, and there was no one in there. I heard the bathroom door open and saw Shane walk out of it in a pair of boxers. My eyes grew wide as I started to place the moans of ecstasy. I ran into the living room and covered my mouth in horror when I saw the two people on the tv.  
  
"Now, Case, don't get mad," Shane said walking in after me.  
  
"SHANE!" I screeched pointing to the tv.  
  
"I just, I didn't, but, oh shit," he stumbled scratching his head.  
  
"What the fuck?!" I screamed at him rushing to turn the tv off.  
  
"I found it and thought it was one of my cartoon tapes. Honest," he said.  
  
"Shane, I thought you got rid of those tapes!" I exclaimed, red with anger, as I hit the eject button.  
  
"I know, but I couldn't destroy them. I'm sorry," he sighed.  
  
"Shane, if anyone saw these tapes I would be mortified!! The only reason I allowed you to tape us was because you said you'd destroy the evidence right away!"  
  
"I know, but I couldn't! They're, they're."  
  
"They're UGH!" I spat running outside. He followed me closely.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked. I stood at the edge of the pool, leaves floating on top of the water. I smiled at him before dropping into the water. "NOOOO!!!" he cried making a diving leap for it. He caught it and somehow kept it above the water as he splashed into it. He climbed out, water dripping off of him, his boxers left floating in the pool.  
  
I crossed my arms and stared at him. "Why the hell do you want to keep it?!"  
  
"Because they remind me of what we once had," he said softly walking by me.  
  
"Um, Shane," I said noticing he was naked.  
  
"No, Case, just leave me alone, alright?" he requested walking towards his car.  
  
"No, Shane, you lost."  
  
"I'll be back sometime," he called to me.  
  
"SHANE!!! YOU LOST YOUR BOXERS!" I yelled after him as he drove out of sight. I stood at the end of the driveway laughing hysterically before I started to get mad again. "He took the damn tape with him! Man was I stupid to let him tape us having sex! I should have known better! I'm now a fuckin porn slut!" I slapped my hand to my forehead and started up the driveway. I heard squealing tires behind me and I turned to see Shane jump out of the car. He held the tape over him and ran to the pool. I laughed, thinking how something like this could only possibly happen in movies.  
  
"You let me get in that car naked?!" he yelled at me, pulling on the soaking wet fabric.  
  
"Hey, I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen to anything I had to say," I smiled.  
  
"Well, I almost walked into my brother's house naked!" he exclaimed standing in front of me, watching me laugh. "Oh, I'm so glad I could amuse you."  
  
"Me too. Thanks for the entertainment," I said. He glared at me before storming off into the house. I followed him up to his room and stood in the doorway as he changed in his closet. "Hey, this is punishment for keeping that tape and watching it."  
  
"Like I said, I thought it was one of my cartoon tapes," he replied.  
  
"Well, why'd you continue watching it, instead of turning it off when you realized what it was?" I asked sitting on his bed, almost slipping off from the satin sheets.  
  
"Because," he responded.  
  
"Because is not a reason," I pointed out.  
  
"Well, it's my reason and I'm sticking with it. It's better than I plead the fifth, isn't it?" he asked walking out of his closet with his arms crossed.  
  
"Not much," I smiled sarcastically.  
  
"Anyways, how's Willow?" he asked changing the subject as I followed him down the stairs.  
  
"She's fine. Just as wild as her father and mother," I smiled.  
  
"I'm sure she is," he sighed.  
  
"What are you doing home? Isn't it your hunting hours?" I asked as we sat on the couch, him flipping through the channels.  
  
"Yeah, well, I think I'm gonna give it a break for a while, ya know? Just lounge out," he replied.  
  
"That doesn't sound like the Shane Helms I know," I said looking over at him as he slouched down on the couch, making it so I could lay down on him, my head on his chest.  
  
"Yeah, well, this is the new and improved Shane Helms," he chuckled.  
  
"Hmm, there's something more to this that you're not telling me, but I suppose I'm not gonna get it out of you, huh?"  
  
"Nope," he replied twisting his fingers in my hair. "Not tonite anyways."  
  
*************  
  
"Casey, can I talk to you for a second?" John asked as I stood in the hall talking to Nora and Chris Nowinski.  
  
"Um, sure," I said as he pulled me away from the couple. I looked up at his curious face and smiled. "What's up?"  
  
"Why'd you break up with Randy?" he asked in a demanding way.  
  
"It wasn't working out."  
  
"Bull shit."  
  
"No it's not. I'm not ready for a commitment and even if I was, I don't think Randy's the guy I want to be in a committed relationship with."  
  
"So basically you broke up with him because of Jeff Hardy," John said crossing his large arms over his chest.  
  
"Basically," I muttered looking to the floor.  
  
"There's more to this, what is it?"  
  
"Nothing, never mind okay?" I replied roughly.  
  
"Oh my God. You broke up with him because of me, didn't you?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself John. I did no such thing," I lied unable to look at his face fearing he may be able to tell.  
  
"You did! Why would you do such a thing?!"  
  
"Because us being together was tearing the two of you apart. And you two have been friends since you both came into the business. I didn't want to be the bitch that broke you two up!"  
  
"Ya know what? Randy really loved you. I could have gotten over the fact you two were together."  
  
"Could you?"  
  
"Yeah, I could have. But you never gave me or him a chance. And that kinda pisses me off."  
  
"Whatever John. I was just trying to save our friendships. No one is worth losing your best friend for," I remarked walking off to the women's locker room. "Well this should make for an interesting match."  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Trish asked.  
  
"Well, I have a match against John tonite for the Intercontinental title. But we're both pissed at each other," I replied pulling my boots out of my bag. A card fell to the floor as I pulled them out.  
  
"Hey, aren't those the first boots we got you?" Trish asked.  
  
"Yeah, they are, cause I forgot my new ones at home, but what's with the card?" I asked picking it up. She sat on the bench next to me and smiled as I read it out loud.  
  
"Dear Case. We couldn't be happier about you being in our lives. You're part of the family, always will be. We're very proud of how far you have come in your training and know you'll go all the way today! Just remember that we're always there for you, no matter what. YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUNAWAY EVER AGAIN! This is your HOME, with US. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US EVER! Love always, Jeff, Matt, Amy, and Trish."  
  
"That's the card we gave you with the gift," Trish frowned. But we didn't write it like that."  
  
"I know, I remember that card. I have it by my bed," I said.  
  
"So what's this one all about?" she asked.  
  
"I wish I knew," I replied flipping the card over. "Oh man. Trish look."  
  
"Jeff," she said. "Oh wow."  
  
"Hey, can Shannon and I come in girls?" Shane asked knocking on the door.  
  
"Yeah, please do!" I exclaimed. They both walked in smiling, setting down bags of subway for us to eat before the show. I held up the card to Shane and Shannon. "What do you guys know about this?"  
  
"Isn't that the card that's framed by your bed?" Shane asked. I nodded.  
  
"Um, I think I hear my cell phone ringing," Shannon said trying to sneak out of the room, but Trish pulled him back.  
  
"Shannon, what the hell is the meaning of this?" I exclaimed.  
  
"Did you read the back?" he sighed.  
  
"No, I saw Jeff's name and decided I didn't really want to," I replied.  
  
"Read it," he said.  
  
"Dear Casey. Do remember that day that you got your contract and the boots? Who was there by your side? Me. Who wasn't there? Shane. Think about it? I miss you not being by my side. You must miss me, even just a little bit? Well, anyways, I just wanted to give you a new copy of the card we gave you that day. Just to remind you that you don't have to run away. Especially when things get tough or difficult. I'll always be by your side. I love you. Who else can say that as deeply as I mean it? I doubt anyone can. When you get home, call me. I have a proposition for you. Love always deeply, Jeff."  
  
"Shannon, how did this get in my bag?" I asked close to tears.  
  
He bit on his lip and softly replied, "I did it."  
  
"YOU?! You fuckin traitor!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Traitor?! I've been doing everything in my power to make sure I'm nothing but neutral to the two of you! Do you know how hard that is?! Well let me tell you! I love you both equally as much. It's hard to not lean one way or the other. It's hard to be put between the best friend you've had most of your life and the girl who's like a sister to you. I can't handle this shit anymore! I had to do something! I figured if nothing else, the card might get you two talking again," he explained.  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that I don't want to talk to him again?" I asked.  
  
"No, because I know you do," he replied.  
  
"And how do you know that?" I asked.  
  
He sighed and reached into my bag, pulling out the Amy Brown picture and the claddah ring Jeff had given me. "If you didn't want to talk to him again, you wouldn't keep things like this so close to you at all times." His answer made perfect sense and I hated him for that. How dare he think he knows me that well? More importantly, how dare he be right? I sat there on the bench watching everyone else eat their sandwiches and pondered everything that had happened. What was the proposition? What would Jeff truly have to say to me? And why would he tell me never to run away again? Why should he care so much? I guess all my questions would be answered in a week or so. The only bad thing was that I wasn't quite sure I wanted the answers. 


	9. Christmas Baby

A/N: Who asked for more drama? Lol Well, this chapter is chock full of drama. Lol Enjoy! Oh! And for those wondering, I've solved my stalker problem. So no one can IM me right now unless on my buddy list. It seems to have worked so for awhile it's going to stay that way. Which totally makes me totally and completely happy. Anyways, CHAPTER!!  
  
***************  
  
"So, did you ever call Jeff about that card?" Shane asked leaning over the couch, looking down on me as I laid there listening to the radio play some sappy Christmas songs.  
  
"Did you seriously get knocked out last nite from that chair shot? Cause you must be dreaming. I'm not going to call Jeff," I replied turning my head to look at the Christmas lights that decorated the tree in the living room. "Besides, if he wanted to talk to me that badly, he'd have called ME by now. It's been 3 weeks since that card got slipped into my bag. There have been plenty of chances for him to have called me."  
  
"But maybe you have to make the first move," he said.  
  
"Maybe I don't want to," I snapped. I sighed and shook my head. "Look, it's 3 days before Christmas hell, can we not make this holiday any worse for me than it already is by talking about Jeff?"  
  
"Yeah, sorry," Shane sighed. "Ya know, my parents still say they'd love to have you for Christmas dinner."  
  
"Yeah, I'll have to think about it. I'm kinda thinking I just want to wallow in my tears this year," I laughed. "Thanks for putting up with me. I'm sorry I haven't found an apartment."  
  
"Don't worry about it. You're welcome to stay here forever if you'd like, you know that," Shane smiled. I nodded at him before turning my head to look at the tree again. "Oh, and I really appreciate all the help you gave me with that tree."  
  
"Yeah, uh-huh, not a prob bob," I replied sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, cause gees, with all the help you gave me it went by SO fast."  
  
"I'm sure it did."  
  
"Brat."  
  
"Snob."  
  
"Brat," he laughed lunging down on me, tickling any spot of my body he could get too.  
  
"Shane, stop! You're making my skin crawl!" I laughed trying to push him away. I pushed him too hard and he rolled off the couch, pulling me with him. I landed on top of him, both of us laughing. I looked down at him and he brought my head down to his, kissing my lips softly. He pulled away sharply and pushed me off him. He sat up against the couch and bowed his head, covering the back of it with his hands. I crawled towards him and put my hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off and shot a look at me.  
  
"Casey, that shouldn't have happened," he said harshly.  
  
"What? The kiss?" I asked with a laughed.  
  
"Yeah, we shouldn't kiss. It's just going to get us into a mess." I looked at him, shaking my head. I grabbed his face and pulled him to mine, kissing him roughly.  
  
"What kind of a mess are we going to get into exactly?" I asked with a smile placing my forehead on his.  
  
"You need to go back with Jeff. I don't want to mess it up for you," he said pulling his head away from mine.  
  
"Trust me, you're not going to. I am," I said sharply kissing him rougher than before. He pulled away and shook his head.  
  
"Casey, what are you doing?!" he exclaimed. I stood and held his hands, pulling him up as well. I dragged him up the stairs, threw him on his bed, and pulled my top over my head.  
  
"I'm doing what I should have done a while ago," I smiled throwing my top across the room.  
  
*****************  
  
"Casey, last nite and this morning was simply amazing," Shane smiled kissing my bare shoulders. I looked towards the wall, away from him and fought back tears.  
  
"Yeah, it was great," I replied softly.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Perfect," I smiled rolling over to face him.  
  
"Why don't I believe that?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. It's the truth though."  
  
"Hmmmmm, I don't think it is. But I'm not going to argue with you right now. This was too perfect for words. I love spending all day in bed with you."  
  
"All day?" I asked looking over at the clock. "It's 8 at nite?!"  
  
"Yeah it is." We laughed.  
  
"So, um, when do we have to be at your parents' house tomorrow?" I asked.  
  
"About 2," he smiled. "Does this mean you're coming?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess it does."  
  
"Good! I'm so glad! My parents really do like you Case. They always have," he smiled as he rolled out of the bed. "Well, I'm gonna jump in the shower and get the smell of sex off me." I watched him walk out of the room and closed my eyes tightly when he left.  
  
"What are you doing?!" I exclaimed to myself. "You're fucking with Shane. You broke up with Randy. You won't call Jeff. What the hell is your problem Casey?!"  
  
"Hello?!" I sat up straight when I heard a voice. I quickly pulled on a pair of Shane's boxers and a shirt before I ran down the stairs.  
  
"Ames?" I said meeting her at the door. She was only a few weeks away from giving birth.  
  
"Hey," she smiled hugging me.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked leading her into the living room and helping her sit on the couch.  
  
"I haven't seen you in so long and I wanted to see how you were," she smiled.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. You?" I asked.  
  
"I'm alright. Very uncomfortable, but alright," she laughed. "Actually, I'm not alright."  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
"I got into a huge fight with Matt," she cried.  
  
"Aw, don't get upset. It's not good for the baby," I said putting my arm around her shoulder as she put her head on my shoulder.  
  
"I know, but I can't help it. He told me that I don't know how lucky I am to have him in my life. He said most fathers in the line of work we're in don't care for their wives as much as he does. And he went on and on and on like he was giving up something by being with me. So I told him if he truly felt that way then I'd leave. So I did and now I'm here," she cried.  
  
"Oh Jesus. Matt's just being an asshole. Go back to him. You both need each other. And the baby needs a mother and father," I said rubbing her shoulder. She suddenly lurched forward as if in pain and squeezed her eyes shut. "Amy?!"  
  
"Oh God," she cried out in pain.  
  
"Casey?!" Shane yelled running down the steps, skipping the bottom 5. He held his towel up to him as best as he could, his hair was sopping wet and water dripped off his body. "What the hell is the matter?!"  
  
"It's Amy," I replied rubbing her back.  
  
"Ames? What's the matter?" he asked.  
  
"Ah, fuck me!" she cried.  
  
"Nope, already did that to Case last nite," he muttered with a smile. I shot him a dirty look to take the situation seriously.  
  
"Amy, what's wrong?" I asked calmly trying to help her sit up.  
  
"My stomach," she cried before letting out a deep breath. She sat up and blinked a few times.  
  
"Are you alright?" Shane asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. But um, I'm gonna have to replace your couch," she said.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"My water broke," she said looking up at our panic stricken faces.  
  
"Was that a contraction?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Oh yeah.........and I think another one is coming!" she screamed gripping onto my hand tightly. I was amazed at how much strength she had. It felt as if she'd break my hand.  
  
"Shane, call her hospital and tell them we're on our way," I instructed. "And then we'll call Matt in the car and tell him to meet us there." Shane quickly got on the phone as I help Amy out to the car. Shane ran out pulling a wife-beater over his head. He threw a bag into the passenger seat before we sped out of the driveway.  
  
"I grabbed some clothes for you to change into at the hospital," Shane said answering the question that rested in my mind about the bag. "How you doin Ames?"  
  
"Oh just fuckin peachy!" she screamed.  
  
"Just breathe Amy. Just breathe. Concentrate on me. Look at me. Don't think about the pain," I instructed holding her hand tightly.  
  
"The hospital will want to know how far apart her contractions are," Shane said.  
  
"I'm guessing about 10 minutes apart," I answered as we pulled into the emergency parking lot of the hospital. Matt met us right at the door. Jeff, Gil, and Amy's parents were already sitting in the waiting room. Shannon and Crystal were going to be on their way.  
  
"Baby, you alright?" Matt asked greeting us at the door with a wheel chair.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Amy breathed heavily. I left her at the door with Matt and rushed to the nurses' desk, Shane following me closely. I told them all the information I knew and grabbed a clip board of papers for Amy to fill out. I handed it to Matt and went into the bathroom to change into some more comfortable clothes.  
  
"Where's Amy?" I asked handing the bag of clothes to Shane.  
  
"She's been brought into a room. She's not ready for delivery yet. They don't think she'll be ready for another couple hours or so," Shane explained as I followed him out to the car.  
  
"Is the baby going to be alright? She's 2 weeks early," I said worriedly.  
  
"Oh, yeah, they say the baby should be fine," he smiled. "Ya know Jeff's in there, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. I don't know what to do. I want to be here for Ames, but at the same time I know I can't be in there with Jeff, ya know?" I said.  
  
"I know. Do you want to go hang out in the cafeteria until she goes into labor? We'll have Shannon or Crystal or someone come get us when it's time," he said. "Just so you don't have to face Jeff any more than you have to." He held my hands in his and I looked up at him, smiling. I reached up and kissed him softly.  
  
"Yeah, that's probably for the best," I nodded, walking into the hospital together.  
  
"Shan, they're not together are they?" Jeff asked watching the two of us walk in together holding hands.  
  
"Not that I'm aware of. The last I knew they were just friends, but you know how things like that can change at the drop of a hat," Shannon answered.  
  
"I don't know what I'm going to do if they're together. That damn card didn't work. She never called me, she won't look at me now, and she's with Shane. It's like it fuckin backfired," Jeff sighed.  
  
"Well, you haven't been around her as much as I have. So one thing you have to know about Casey right now is that she's changed. She's not the girl you used to know. What happened at the wedding really did something to her mentality, I swear. She's like dated almost everyone that's single on the roster. She's trying desperately to get over you. But no matter who she dates, she can't stay with them because of you being in her heart," Shannon said.  
  
"I want her back Shan. I want her back badly," Jeff sighed.  
  
"Casey, it's not going to get any easier. You've got to face Jeff eventually," Shane said as I sipped my soda.  
  
"Well, I'd personally rather face him later than sooner," I said glancing up at the clock. "Shane, I'm getting worried. It's 1 am. It's now been 5 hours."  
  
"I'm sure Amy and the baby are both fine. Women have been in labor longer than 5 hours," Shane said as Shannon came running up to our table.  
  
"They're moving Amy into the delivery room!" he exclaimed happily pulling me from the table and dragging me with him. Shane laughed and ran after us. Everyone was waiting outside of the delivery room, waiting patiently.  
  
"Isn't this exciting?!" Crystal smiled grabbing my hand.  
  
"Yeah, real exciting," I smiled at her.  
  
"Matt's gonna pass out," Jeff laughed.  
  
"Jeff, Matt'll be fine. I was in the room when you were born. So if I could handle being in there, he can handle being in there," Gil said rubbing his hands together.  
  
"Gil, you can't handle being out here," Mr. Dumas joked squeezing Gil's shoulder. Everything went quiet and suddenly Matt burst out of the room with a giant smile on his face.  
  
"It's a baby girl!" he exclaimed as Jeff was the first to give him a congratulations hug.  
  
"When can we see the baby?" I asked kissing his cheek.  
  
"They want to get her cleaned up and everything. And then we'll be brought into another room," Matt smiled  
  
"Hey Matt," I smiled.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked.  
  
"Ya know how I always hated Christmas?" I asked biting my lip.  
  
"Yeah," he said.  
  
"Well, how can I hate a holiday that's brought your daughter into the world?" I asked.  
  
"I love you Case," he smiled kissing my forehead before walking back into the room to be with Amy.  
  
Not too much later we were standing around Amy's bed. She was smiling happily, holding Nichole Ruby Hardy. Matt sat next to her in the bed, softly rubbing Nichole's head.  
  
"She's beautiful Ames," Shane smiled.  
  
"Thank you," she said tearfully.  
  
"Can I hold her?" I asked.  
  
"Well, you will be like an aunt to her. So yeah, of course," Amy smiled starting to hand her over.  
  
"Why?" Jeff asked before I got her in my arms. Everyone looked at him.  
  
"Why what?" Matt asked.  
  
"Why is she being considered Nichole's aunt? She's not family," Jeff said.  
  
"Not by blood, but in our hearts she is," Amy said.  
  
"She's not part of my family," he shot at me. His eyes were like daggers as they pierced mine. I fought hard to not cry, but in the end I couldn't help it. I rushed out of the room with tears running freely down my cheeks.  
  
"What the hell Jeff?!" Amy screamed.  
  
"What?! I'm only speaking the truth!" Jeff argued.  
  
"Bull shit! She is and always will be a Hardy. You know that!" Matt said.  
  
"She is not a Hardy! Hardy's don't cheat on their fiancés with friends 3 days before their wedding!" Jeff yelled causing Nichole to cry.  
  
"Great Jeff, now look what you've done!" Amy cried trying to calm Nichole down.  
  
"Yeah, it's always my fault. It's my fault that Nichole is crying. It's my fault Casey is crying. It's my fault we never got married. And it's my fuckin fault Casey fell on Shane's dick!" Jeff exclaimed slamming his fist into the wall before storming out of the room.  
  
"What the hell was that all about?" Crystal asked. "They were doing so well."  
  
"Yeah, well, Jeff's being an ass because Casey won't pay any attention to him," Shannon said.  
  
"I'm sorry Amy, Matt," Shane said, his face white as the sheets on the bed.  
  
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Matt asked. "Jeff's the one that blew up for no purpose."  
  
"If I hadn't taken Casey out that nite, we wouldn't have slept together, and they would be married. And if truth be known, they'd probably be well into having their first child by now too," Shane said.  
  
"Dude, don't blame yourself for this. Jeff didn't have to say anything. He could have kept his mouth shut," Shannon said.  
  
"But he's right," Shane said slowly walking out of the room.  
  
"Bitch comes into my life, fucks me over, and they still take her in! What the fuck is wrong with this picture?!" Jeff yelled as he started to walk into the lobby. I was standing by the doors crying when I heard him. I turned my head towards him and our eyes connected. I shook my head at him and walked through the doors, my arms crossed, and my face set in an unbelievable anger. He walked out after me and ran to catch up with me. He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.  
  
"Don't touch me. Not now, not ever!" I said through clenched teeth. He released my arm and turned to walk away again.  
  
"Casey, look at me!" he yelled. I shook my head and kept walking. "Damn it Case! Stop right now! You owe this to me!"  
  
I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around. "I owe WHAT to you?!" I screamed.  
  
"You owe it to me to speak to me," he replied angrily.  
  
"Oh right, because what you said in that room was the nicest thing ever!" I cried.  
  
"Well it's the fuckin truth! At least I'm able to tell the truth!" he said.  
  
"And I don't?! Oh no, cause gees, everything I ever told you, Jeff, was a fuckin lie," I said sarcastically.  
  
"Well, not everything was the truth obviously!" he screamed.  
  
"Like what?!" I shrieked.  
  
"Like, like, like you loving me!" he stuttered.  
  
"Me loving you was never a lie!" I screamed. "Jesus Jeff, how many times do I have to tell you this?!"  
  
He let out a low growl before pushing me against a car, roughly, and kissing me. I pushed him off me as hard as I possibly could and glared at him. He looked at me bewilderedly.  
  
"I'm not yours anymore. And you've made it clear that you can't trust me enough to be yours anymore. So don't kiss me like I'm your girlfriend. Don't kiss me like we're together. Because we're not. And that's all there is to it," I said harshly before turning away from him and walking back into the hospital. 


	10. Proposition

A/N: This is gonna sound funny, but I was a little hurt by someone's comment about Casey. About how she's to trampy for Jeff. Why is that you think that? And the only reason I say I was a little hurt by it is because Casey is who I am. I mean, sure, all of the characters I make up have a bit of me in them, but Casey is me through and through with my personality. She's how I am and how I would be in certain situations. And I'm not trampy. Not even close. I mean go ahead and voice your opinion about her, the story, whatever, but can you give a reason why you think those things? I mean if they're kind of a negative thing? Cause I don't see how she's being trampy. Bitchy yes, trampy no. lol That's really all I wanted to say. AND........BEGIN!  
  
**********  
  
"Shane, if we're not dating, then what are we?" I asked running my hand over his chest as we laid in bed together.  
  
"Um, friends with benefits?" he asked.  
  
"Hmmm, I like it," I laughed. He yawned, hardly getting any sleep the nite before. "Tired?"  
  
"Well, yeah! Aren't you?" he asked.  
  
"Not really. But then again, I am a young girl. And you're an old man," I joked.  
  
"Mmm, funny. So, so, funny," he smiled sarcastically. "I don't want to go to work tonite."  
  
"Oh, and see, I do. Cause I finally win a fuckin belt!" I exclaimed rolling out of the bed, pulling the sheet with me.  
  
"Yeah, the hardcore one," he sighed propping himself up on his elbow.  
  
"So? What's wrong with that? Hardcore matches are my specialty," I said walking into the bathroom and starting the shower.  
  
"Well, 9 times out of 10, you injury yourself in some way during hardcore matches," he said.  
  
"They're a risk. A risk I'm willing to take. I'm used to it. The pain in these matches isn't anything I haven't felt before," I said brushing my teeth.  
  
"Still, they worry me. Hell, they worry all of us. You're sometimes too careless with your wrestling. It's like Jeff has possessed your body or something," he joked.  
  
"Hey!" I snapped. "We decided to never speak of him again!"  
  
"Oh Jesus Case, I thought that was just a fuckin joke!" he said pulling on a pair of shorts.  
  
"No, it wasn't a joke," I said. I walked back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me, and jumping into the shower.  
  
**********  
  
"You got really banged up this time Case," Nick said applying ointment to my cuts.  
  
"Ouch," I cried out as he rubbed the cotton on my shoulder. "I know, I don't even know how half this shit happened."  
  
"Hardcore match, were ya there?" he laughed sarcastically.  
  
"Nick, shut up and just fix me," I growled.  
  
"Get someone to take you to the hospital. This one on your back is too deep. You need regular stitches," Nick said handing me my blue fishnet top.  
  
"Are you fuckin serious?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Very," he nodded. "Look, after this belt run, I'd seriously suggest that you give up hardcore matches for awhile. You're going to get seriously hurt one of these days. These hardcore matches limit your wrestling years, and with the way you're going, you've got ONE year left."  
  
"Thanks for the surgeon warning, Nick, but I've got a lot more wrestling years left in this body," I said sliding off the bed. I cringed as my feet hit the floor.  
  
"Casey, please, just lay off them for awhile after this. You're too talented to be retiring at 24," he said watching me limp out of the room.  
  
"Casey, you alright?" Andrew asked slipping his arm out around Stacy's waist when he saw me limping down the hall.  
  
"Yeah, fine," I cringed continuing to walk by.  
  
"Do you need help?" Stacy asked.  
  
"No, I'm gonna go grab my stuff and get someone to take me to the hospital," I smiled weakly at her. "Have a good match tonite Drew."  
  
"Thanks. Get better," he smiled at me.  
  
"Trish," I whined sitting on the bench.  
  
"What?" she called with a laugh from the showers.  
  
"Are you done for the nite?" I asked.  
  
"No, why? Did you kill yourself at another hardcore match?" she laughed.  
  
"Um, yeah," I replied rolling my eyes.  
  
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed flying out of the showers with a white fluffy towel wrapped around her. "Are you okay?! I was just kidding."  
  
"It's nothing serious," I laughed turning around. "Just a deep cut on my back that needs stitches."  
  
"Oh Jesus Case, don't scare me like that," she smiled walking back in to finish her shower.  
  
"Sorry," I called after her.  
  
"Isn't Shane done for the nite?" she called to me.  
  
"Yeah, but he left for the next town already," I replied throwing my stuff in my bag, wincing with pain every once in awhile.  
  
"Without YOU?!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, we're having a fight right now," I sighed.  
  
"About what?" she asked walking out. "I mean, aren't you two a couple again?"  
  
"Oh God no!" I laughed. "We're as he put it last Tuesday morning, friends with benefits."  
  
"Oh," she said. "So what are you fighting about?"  
  
"Him," I growled.  
  
"God?"  
  
"No, HIM!"  
  
"Casey, you got to be more specific, there are a lot of HIMs," she said crossing her arms.  
  
"Jeff," I said zipping up my duffle bag.  
  
"Oh, I see," she nodded. "Well, you should go find someone to get you to the hospital. That cut is starting to bleed again."  
  
"Damn it! See ya Trish," I smiled grabbing my stuff and walking out of the room. "ADAM!" I waved him down before he could leave the building.  
  
"What's up kiddo?" he asked.  
  
"I need someone to take me to the hospital to get stitches," I said. "Can you do it?"  
  
"No can do. I'm on my way home to Alanah. Sorry," he smiled leaning down to kiss my cheek. He left and I let out a sigh.  
  
"Problems?" Paul asked making himself a cup of coffee.  
  
"Yes. I have no one to take me to get stitches," I sighed leaning carefully against the table.  
  
"I'd do it, but I have a championship match next. Sorry," he smiled.  
  
"Ah, that's okay. With my luck, you'd swerve us off the road anyways just to get me back for some prank I have pulled on you yet," I smiled walking away.  
  
"Looking for someone?" Rey asked stretching in the middle of the hall.  
  
"Yeah, do you know if Shannon's left yet?" I asked.  
  
"Um, don't think so. I think he's in the shower, why chica?" he asked. I just turned around and pointed to my wound. "Ah, well, he should be out any minute. He had a match on Heat so he's done for the nite."  
  
"Thanks!" I exclaimed walking off quickly to the men's locker room.  
  
"CASEY!!" Kurt cried out grabbing his Intercontinental championship belt to hold in front of him.  
  
"Oops, sorry Kurt," I bit on my lip. "Shannon!"  
  
"Yeah?" he asked wrapping a towel around his waist.  
  
"Can you take me to get stitches?" I asked.  
  
"You need to get yourself a car," he laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but usually I'm with Shane and don't have to. We're just fighting right now," I sighed.  
  
"Yeah, just give me 5 minutes. We have to wait for Sean and John though," he said.  
  
"They're done, right?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, we're done," Sean smiled at me. "Sorry about your loss."  
  
"You win some, you lose some," I smiled with a shrug.  
  
"Casey! Did you do this!?" John cried walking into the room carrying a pair of underwear with him.  
  
"Do what?" I asked looking up at him.  
  
"Take my underwear and hang them on the antenna of the rental," he smirked sarcastically.  
  
"No, I swear that wasn't my doing. Not my style," I smiled.  
  
"Sounds like Irvine if you ask me," Shannon said pulling his hair into a smooth ponytail.  
  
"Damn it! I knew he'd get me back for putting salt in his coffee instead of sugar," John said shoving his tighty whities in his bag.  
  
***************  
  
"Add another scar to the list?" Shane smiled as I walked into the living room, coming back from getting my stitches removed.  
  
"Yep, looks that way," I smiled flopping down on the couch next to him. "What are we watching?"  
  
"Mallrats," he replied as I rested my head in his lap. "What took you so long?"  
  
"I went and saw Amy," I replied.  
  
"Ah, how is she and little Nichole?"  
  
"They're great."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Shane."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I don't want us to be friends with benefits anymore."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I don't want to have sex with you anymore. Not like that. It's just not, not what I'm really about. To tell ya the truth, I kinda feel, blah."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Nah, don't be. I knew it wouldn't last forever. It's okay. I understand."  
  
"I still love you though," I smiled making puppy dog eyes at him.  
  
"Of course you do," he replied smugly. I slapped his chest and glared at him.  
  
"You're a jerk."  
  
"Yeah, uh-huh."  
  
"And you like to be don't you?!"  
  
"Yeah, uh-huh."  
  
"I don't think I love you anymore."  
  
"Shh, watching Mallrats," he smiled.  
  
"Ass."  
  
"Bitch."  
  
"Dork."  
  
"Brat."  
  
"Comic book nerd!"  
  
"Yes I am, and I'm proud of it."  
  
I laughed and got up, walking up to my room. I shut the door behind me and flopped down on my bed. I turned over on my side with a yawn and stared at the gift card that came with my boots. I picked it up and read it over. I glanced at my phone and bit on my lip. I grabbed it and dialed his number. Hoping he wouldn't be home.  
  
"Hello?" I gasped at the answer. I wasn't sure what to do. "Hello?!" he repeated.  
  
"Hi, Jeff," I spoke softly.  
  
"Casey?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I don't know, ask my parents. What kind of a dumb question is that?!"  
  
"No, I meant, why are you calling me."  
  
"Oh, um, well, ya see, I haven't figured that one out yet," I replied.  
  
"You haven't figured out why you called me?" he laughed.  
  
"Um, no," I said.  
  
"Okay.........."  
  
"Alright, so I do know why I called."  
  
"Okay, I'd love to hear this. Why?"  
  
"Well, I was reading over the gift card. And I wanted to call you and ask what your proposition was."  
  
"Are you seriously interested in what it is?"  
  
"Is? You mean it's not past tense yet?!"  
  
"Oh no, it's definitely not past tense yet."  
  
"Well, yeah, I want to know. I'm really interested in what it could be."  
  
"Alright, good," he replied and I knew he was smiling. 


	11. Gone

A/N: I'm not exactly sure how well this is going to come out. But it's going to be in Shane's point of view. The song I use in this chapter (and this is one reason why this story is called Gone) is "Gone" by NSYNC. I know what ya'll are thinking. NSYNC?! What the fuck is she doing?! Well, they happen to be my guilty pleasure if you will...........well, one of two. But the other guilty pleasure will never be known. Even though the damn fuckers seem to be haunting me now. Anyways, here's the next chapter!  
  
**********  
  
'There's a thousand words that I could say  
  
To make you come home'  
  
I knew this day had to come someday. I just wished it wasn't today. I wanted her to stay with me forever. I wanted to make her my wife. Hell, I wanted to make her my wife YEARS ago. But her heart just isn't with me. I would give anything to have her be a part of my life. A part of my life forever, but that's obviously not going to happen. So I'm just going to have to pick up and move on without her.  
  
'Oh, seems so long ago you walked away  
  
Left me alone'  
  
So, I'll just sit on my steps, watching her pack up the truck to move. Move, yeah, she's moving. How could one call make her leave? That's what I don't understand. I just haven't figured out how to talk to her about it yet. One more nite and then she's gone. One more nite of just her and I. And then the only time I'll see her is at work. No more traveling together, no more living together, no more of any of that. She'll be his completely.  
  
'I remember what you said to me  
  
You were acting so strange'  
  
I watched her lifting the boxes, I knew I should have gotten up to help her, but it would have gone against everything I wanted. But why should anyone care about what I want. I'm no one special.  
  
'and maybe I was too blind to see  
  
That you needed a change'  
  
"Oh my back," she sighed bending backwards to crack it. I wanted to jump up and offer to give her a massage, but I knew she'd turn me down. I just can't handle any more rejection from this girl. She walked towards me, a smile on her face, the cold late winter wind blowing her hair in her face. "I think I'm about done."  
  
"That's good," I replied looking past her. Luna ran by us, but I paid little attention to her. My cats would sure be happy that the dog was leaving. Oh, great, now I'm thinking about how my cats are going to feel. They're just stupid animals.  
  
'Was it something I said  
  
To make you turn away?'  
  
"Shane, did you hear me?" she asked with a laugh, putting her hand on my knee. I closed my eyes, hoping that I wasn't imagining her touch. When I opened them she was standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, her touch still lingered on my knee.  
  
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked shaking the cobwebs from my head.  
  
"I said we should go get some grub. I'm starved," she laughed walking into the house. I stood, thinking about following her, but I really didn't want to. The faster we got something to eat, the faster the day and nite would end, and the faster it would be tomorrow. I hated the thought of tomorrow. I hated it more than anything. Yeah, sure, I hated how she left her clothes on the floor, or how she'd leave water bottles all over the house, or how she says whateva instead of whatever. But those were all little quirks that I would and could get used to. Whateva was probably one of my favorites. After all the time she's spent in the south, she never lost that little New York accent. Though it's gotten fainter through the years, you can still tell where her heart remains, especially if she's around Marc.  
  
'To make you walk out and leave me cold  
  
If I could just find a way'  
  
"Come on! Your choice!" she bounded past me jumping into the Black Manta. I stood rooted to my spot, just watching her. I watched her put the keys in the ignition and turn the car on. I watched her reach for the radio immediately and heard the music coming from the speakers. I watched her bang her head to the music, so much so that the car looked like it was shaking. She looked up at me and smiled brightly, a smile Adam would be jealous of, and waved for me to come over.  
  
'To make it so that you were right here  
  
But right now......'  
  
"You alright?" she asked as I slid into the driver's seat of my car.  
  
"Yeah, fine, why?" I asked pulling out of the drive way.  
  
"You just seem a little distant and weird today," she said looking out the window.  
  
'I've been sitting here  
  
Can't get you off my mind'  
  
"Just one of those days I suppose," I shrugged.  
  
"Ya know, if something is bothering you, you can tell me," she said. I wanted to tell her, but how could I tell her something she already knows, something she's known for a long time. I mean, I must sound like a broken record by now.  
  
'I've tried my best to be a man and be strong  
  
I've drove myself insane  
  
Wishing I could touch your face  
  
But the truth remains.......'  
  
"I've got nothing to say," I replied.  
  
"Well, this is something new. Shane Helms has nothing to say. Alert the media!" she joked. I chuckled slightly, but I couldn't laugh for real. Not when I'm hurting this badly. I always swore to myself that I wouldn't let some chick do this to me. But somehow I allowed her to. I have still yet to figure out what it is about her that I love so much.  
  
'You're gone........  
  
You're gone........  
  
Baby you're gone  
  
Girl you're gone, baby girl, you're gone.......  
  
You're gone..........  
  
You're...................'  
  
"So, do you think you're ready to make this move?" I asked knowing fully well that I didn't really want the answer.  
  
"Yeah, I am. Shane, it's just right. I mean, when I called him and heard what he was asking of me, I had to take it," she said before sipping on her cherry coke.  
  
'I don't wanna make excuses, baby  
  
Won't change the fact that you're gone'  
  
"Case, what exactly did he say?" I asked. I didn't know the full story just that she called him and she was moving out. I didn't know why or what was said.  
  
"Shane, I really don't want to say," she said looking down at her food.  
  
"Please, Case, I want to know," I insisted.  
  
"Jeff said that he'd take me back on a few conditions. He said that if I moved out of your house and in with him then he'd take me back. That's all you really need to know right now," she sighed.  
  
"What aren't you telling me?" I exclaimed in raged.  
  
'But if there's something that I could do  
  
Won't you please let me know?'  
  
"Can't we just have a nice dinner together?!" she cried her eyes starting to well up with tears. I just nodded at her. I knew she wasn't going to share anymore with me.  
  
****************  
  
'Time is passing so slowly now  
  
Guess that's my life without you'  
  
"Casey, I really don't want you to leave," I said pulling her body to mine as we stood outside. Matt sat in the truck, waiting for her. He could wait just a bit longer.  
  
"I have to Shane," she said her arms hanging loosely by her sides.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll see you at work then tomorrow," I said forcing a smile. Her face seemed to sink. There was something in her eyes. Something just screamed that she was sorry. "What?"  
  
"About work," she spoke softly.  
  
'and maybe I could change my every day  
  
But baby I don't want to'  
  
"What about it?" I asked.  
  
"Remember last nite how I said Jeff had a few conditions to taking me back?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, another one is to um, quit working for WWE. Um, he says he just can't trust me around you. And can't trust you. So he wants to get rid of the temptation."  
  
"Casey! Is this relationship really worth you quitting your job?" I exclaimed starting to pace.  
  
"Yeah, Shane, it is. I want him back, and if I have to make a few changes, then so be it," she said. "This is probably the last time you'll see me."  
  
"But your contract isn't even up for another 5 months!" I cried out.  
  
"I know, I have to talk to Vince about that," she said as Matt beeped for her. She waved him on and he left, stirring up the dirt in the yard.  
  
"So that's it huh? Jeff says jump and you do?" I asked.  
  
"I'm doing what I have to do to get him back! Why can't you understand this?!" she yelled storming off towards her car.  
  
"Because you're too independent for this!" I cried watching her get in the car. Without another word, she left. She left, leaving nothing but tire tracks.  
  
'So I'll just hang around  
  
and find some things to do'  
  
So now to start a new life without her. It was going to be hard enough to not travel with her, but now to know that I won't even pass her in the halls is just beyond belief. The only thing I have of her is a few pictures and the class ring. God, I never take that off. But now that she's gone, I suppose I should, right? Wow, I never thought it'd be this hard to let go. I can't imagine how I'll get by.  
  
'To take my mind off missing you  
  
and I know in my heart  
  
You can't say that you don't love me too  
  
Please say you do'  
  
***************  
  
"Where's Casey?" Trish asked me grabbing the tread mill next to me in the hotel gym.  
  
'I've been sitting here  
  
Can't get you off my mind'  
  
"Um, she's gone," I replied looking over at her.  
  
"Gone?" she laughed.  
  
"Trish, she's gone," I said stopping my run.  
  
'I've tried my best to be a man and be strong  
  
I drove myself insane'  
  
"But she's coming to the show right?" she asked sadly.  
  
"As far as I know, no," I shook my head before leaving the area.  
  
"WAIT! Shane, what's goin on?" Trish asked running to catch up to me.  
  
'Wishing I could touch your face  
  
But the truth remains........'  
  
"She got an offer from Jeff she couldn't refuse," I answered her pushing the button the elevator.  
  
"But she and Jeff aren't speaking," Trish shook her head in disbelief as she joined me.  
  
"They are now."  
  
"But how? When?"  
  
'You're gone......  
  
You're gone........  
  
You're gone......  
  
You're gone......................  
  
you're gone......  
  
you're..............Gone'  
  
"She moved out of my house yesterday morning to go live with Jeff."  
  
"But that doesn't explain anything!"  
  
"Trish, she's gone. Jeff told her that if she quit working with the WWE, he'd take her back."  
  
"But she wouldn't take a crazy offer like that," Trish laughed before looking at the seriousness on my face. "Oh my God."  
  
"Yeah, oh my God," I nodded in agreement.  
  
"I can't believe she's gone."  
  
"Yeah, try living in house that still smells like her," I smiled as the elevator doors opened to my floor. "I'll see you Trish."  
  
"Yeah, bye Shane."  
  
'Oh what'll I do  
  
If I can't be with you'  
  
There were so many memories of her around. I had been without her for only a day and I already missed her like crazy. It's not like I hadn't been without her for more than a day before, but something was different this time.  
  
'Tell me where will I turn to  
  
Baby where will I be'  
  
Who was going to set me straight when I'm being an idiot? Who was going to be the one that knew how to push my buttons? Who was going to be the one that cared for me more than I thought anyone could?  
  
'We are apart  
  
Am I still in your heart?'  
  
I think deep in my heart I know that this time our split would be permanent. She'd never come back to me. Why would she when she has Jeff? Even when we first started dating I knew I would never be able to be at the same level as Jeff. She was her everything. But I always hoped that in some way I had a piece of her heart.  
  
'Baby why don't you see?  
  
That I need you here with me'  
  
I just collapsed on my bed. Nothing was worth anything to me now. Her ring rested on my chest, moving with ever intake of air. If I was going to get over her, I had to get rid of everything that was a memory of her.  
  
'I've been sitting here  
  
Can't get you off my mind  
  
I tried my best to be a man and be strong'  
  
"Even if it means getting rid of this," I said to myself taking the chain the ring hung on off. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it. But I knew I just had to get rid of it.  
  
'I drove myself insane  
  
Wishing I could touch your face  
  
But the truth remains......'  
  
I grabbed an envelope that came with the stationary in every room. I dropped it in there and without thinking, sealed it shut. I addressed it quickly and found the one stamp in my wallet.  
  
'You're gone...........  
  
You're gone..........  
  
You're gone.........  
  
You're gone..........  
  
You're gone..........'  
  
I ran down to the street and dropped it in the mailbox. Everything was floating away with just that one ring. It was amazing how one tiny object could affect your life immensely. And then by getting rid of that object all your cares would float away.....................  
  
'But the truth remains  
  
You're....................' 


	12. Over Her

A/N: Sorry ya'll for the long wait. I was having some brain blockage problems, plus I was having parallel parking problems, and mother/parent problems. Plus one weekend I went out with my sister and her boyfriend to see a concert, RA. They're excellent live, totally go see them. And if you're in the Maine/New England area, go check out Emptyhead and Ransom. Two totally awesome local bands, with some really hot band members. Lol Then this past weekend I was in CT for my nephew, Luke, first birthday. He's so adorable and probably the best little baby you can imagine. And my sister is 8 weeks pregnant. So she'll be having another little baby soon. I got my license, totally psyched about that. Now all I need is a car, which I may be getting soon. Which means I'll have to become part of the working world. Ick. But whatever. As long as I get money for moving down to KY, everything will be just peachy. Lol And now I'm counting down the days till my 20th birthday. 12 more days! October 20th BABY!!! WOOO Not that anything special will happen. I have only one friend up here and the other one in KY!!! DAMN IT!! lol OH! I might be goin to my 3rd WWE house show this year, my second RAW one. They're comin up here again on the 19th and if I can get the money together I may go by myself. I'll get to see Shane-O. How sweet is that?! AND Randy Orton! Shane's not on the card right now though, so that sucks. But Shane-O, in a street fight, what he does best! Lol I really wanna go, but I dunno. Um, I think that's it. Here's the next chapter!  
  
*****************  
  
I was lying awake again. His arms were wrapped around me. And his light snores filled my ears. I thought that this is where I wanted to be. But for the past week or so I had been completely miserable. I couldn't talk on the phone without him asking questions about it. I probably was the biggest fool to quit my job, leave my friends, and leave my family. God only knew when I'd see anyone of them again. I just hoped they realized why I was doing this. Maybe eventually he'd be able to trust me enough to let me go back to what I loved. Or maybe I'd be a prisoner for the rest of my life. Time could only tell the future. And that's what I was going to do, give this all time. I mean don't get me wrong, I love him more than anything and I'm glad he's giving me a second chance, but no way in hell did I think I was going to lose all my freedoms.  
  
"God, what have I done," I whispered to myself. I felt him stir and heard him yawn in my ear.  
  
"Good morning baby," he whispered.  
  
"Morning," I sighed as he let his arms go. He stood and stretched looking down on me.  
  
"You getting up?" he smiled.  
  
"Why? I've got nothing to do," I muttered to myself.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I'll get up in a minute," I said. I rolled over in time to see him walk out of the room. I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what I had gotten myself into. Jeff had never been like this to me before. I didn't know how to go about anything. I didn't know whether to tell him I wasn't happy or to just let it go.  
  
"Hey, don't forget to pack," he smiled pulling some clothes out of his drawers. I sat up and thought to myself, not sure what he meant.  
  
"Pack for what?" I finally asked getting out of the bed and walking towards the closet. He walked behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I couldn't help but smile. I had to admit it felt great to have his arms around me and to smell his strange, but pleasant, concoction of fragrances.  
  
"For the tour baby. I mean we leave really late tonite for Miami," he replied kissing my neck before walking away.  
  
"Jeff, you never told me about a tour. What tour?" I questioned.  
  
"My tour. I'm starting a tour in a couple weeks. We're preparing for it in Miami. You'll get your beach sweetie," he smiled leaving the room.  
  
"He never tells me any of this shit," I groaned shaking my head as I heard the shower start. I pulled out a pair of lounge pants and a tank top when I saw Shane's old Green Lantern t-shirt stuffed to the back of my underwear drawer. I pulled it out and smiled, hugging it to my body. I breathed in deeply and could still smell his cologne on the fabric. "I never thought I'd miss him this much."  
  
"Miss who?" Jeff asked walking into the bedroom towel drying his hair. I quickly stuffed the shirt back in the drawer and turned around with a smile on my face.  
  
"Miss you," I replied walking over to kiss him. "I'm gonna shower." I rubbed his arm softly as I walked by him.  
  
"Casey," Jeff spoke. I turned around and looked at him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too," I nodded before continuing to the bathroom. After showering quickly, I started to pack, but didn't get very far when Jeff walked in and stopped me.  
  
"Alright, I'm goin to the post office to get our mail. I want you to continue to pack and not answer the phone. Okay?" Jeff said.  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever," I sighed folding up a pair of jeans. He kissed my check and headed out of the house. When I heard him drive out of the driveway I quickly ran down the stairs and to the phone. I took a deep breath and dialed Shane's cell phone.  
  
"Hey, it's Sugar Shane, the one and only. If you're a chick, totally leave your number and you'll be put on my list. If you're a dude, well, I may have time to get back to you eventually!"  
  
"Um, hey Shane, it's Casey. Um, I was hoping to get you, but I guess you're busy. I wanted to call while Jeff was out getting the mail. I'm kinda on phone restrictions, don't ask. I just wanted to call and tell you how much I miss you. And I really truly do. Say hi to everyone for me. I love you so much Sugar," I said hanging up. Before Jeff got home I ran up to the bedroom and finished my packing.  
  
"Casey, I'm back!" Jeff called. I heard him throw his keys on the table and start up the stairs. "You got something. But be careful opening it, it jingles. I have some phone calls to make, I'll be back up in a bit." He threw the envelope on the bed and left. I looked down at it, noticing there was no return address, but the writing looked familiar. Taking his advice, I opened it as carefully as I possibly could. I dumped the contents out on the bed and started to cry when I saw what fell out.  
  
"Dear Casey. I know you said that this was mine to keep, but I figure if you're not in my life anymore than why should it? I need to get over you and quickly. You've broken my heart one too many times and I hope you're happy with Jeff. I don't need you and I now know that. My life doesn't revolve around you anymore. Letting this ring go is like letting you go. So, I'm saying goodbye forever. Sincerely, Shane Helms," I read the short note aloud. I picked up the chain and shook my head as tears trickled down my cheeks. This is when I realized that I had lost everyone and everything I had ever loved for one single person, Jeff Hardy. Was I unhappy? Yes. Was he worth it all? No. And was this relationship going to work out? Probably not.  
  
****************  
  
"Hey Paul," Shane smiled hanging his leather jacket up in the locker room. Paul looked up from his conversation with Randy, Stephanie, and Shane.  
  
"Hey, how ya doin man?" Paul asked.  
  
"Amazingly, fine," Shane said sitting on the bench.  
  
"Have you spoken to her?" Steph asked.  
  
"No, and I don't want to. I'm free of her. That's all that matters to me now," he smiled.  
  
"Shane, that doesn't sound healthy man. She was a big part of your life. How can you pick up and move on like that?" Randy asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I am. So I'd really appreciate it if we wouldn't talk about her," Shane said leaving the locker room.  
  
"Well, I'm not over her. I really miss her," Paul said.  
  
"Even though she was a pain your ass?" Shane laughed.  
  
"Yeah, but it was all in good fun, ya know? She kept life interesting. Now I have no one like that," Paul said.  
  
"Well, the girls really miss her in the locker room. You should see them in there. It's like deathly quiet. Casey always had the boom box goin and was dancing around with them all. Now they just sit there staring off into space. It's so eerie," Stephanie said with a shudder.  
  
"Try being in love with the girl. I don't know what it was about her, but God. She was just special," Randy said.  
  
"Yeah, special ed," Kurt laughed as he and Chris Benoit walked in.  
  
"Yeah, at times," Shane joked. "But she was great wasn't she?"  
  
"There was definitely something unique about her. She was friends with pretty much everyone, she loved being up front and center, her personality just exploded in everything she wore, she was an excellent wrestler to watch, and you could just tell that she loved it as much as the fans loved her," Chris smiled.  
  
"Um, Amy, have you talked to Case?" Trish asked suddenly as she was tying up her boots.  
  
"Yeah, just yesterday before we left," Amy replied as she watched Nichole closely in her stroller.  
  
"How's she doing?" Trish asked.  
  
"She says she's doing fine, but I don't think she is. I mean, I think she's happy to be back with Jeff, but I think she misses everyone and everything about the WWE more," Amy said.  
  
"Then why doesn't she tell Jeff she wants to come back?" Nora asked.  
  
"Because then Jeff will break up with her. Jeff is truly being an ass about things. She's like on restriction with everything. She can't talk on the phone without him right over her shoulder. She can't go out unless he's with her. He wouldn't let her come over before we left for fear that Shane would be there. It's all about Shane," Amy said.  
  
"But Shane doesn't want her anymore," Stacy chuckled. The girls looked at her confused. "He's been telling the guys that he's over her now. He realized that he doesn't need her to get through life. He even sent her the class ring he always wore."  
  
"Oh my God. That's horrible. I remember the shit they went through when Kim gave it to her," Amy said.  
  
"I really miss her," Trish sobbed putting her hands up to her face.  
  
"We all do, Trish. But now she's not the same. She's kinda changed," Amy said leaning over to put her arm around Trish comfortingly.  
  
************  
  
"There you are. I've been looking for you," Jeff breathed heavily after running along the beach searching for me. I sat up to look at him, pulling my sunglasses up on top of my head. He sat on the beach towel I was laying on and kissed my cheek.  
  
"Well, you found me," I smiled at him.  
  
"I wanted you to help me do up the set list," he said running his hand up and down my leg slowly. He looked up and down my body, studying every curve. He leaned over and kissed my chest. "You look gorgeous in that bathing suit."  
  
"It's nothing special. Just black," I replied with a shrug. I was wearing a black, simple, classic bikini. Nothing really notable about it.  
  
"Still, I love it," he smiled. "Anyways, you comin?"  
  
"Um, yeah, sure," I sighed as he helped me to stand. I bent over to pick up my things and he ran his hand down my bare back and rested it on my ass. I just shook my head and stood, throwing my bag over my shoulder.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked as we walked hand in hand down the beach.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong," I replied.  
  
"Why won't you talk to me anymore?" Jeff asked stopping.  
  
"What do you mean? I talk to you all the time."  
  
"No, you don't. Not really anyways. We don't talk like we used to. I want that back."  
  
"Like we used to?"  
  
"Yeah, everything was just so easy when we met. And now things are just like complicated."  
  
"Well, complicated things have happened since then. What did you truly expect to happen?"  
  
"I thought things would have settled down by now. We've been together for, what? Almost a month. Why are things still uncomfortable?"  
  
"Because they are. Jeff, you can't expect these things to just be fixed like that."  
  
"Why not? Any time we had a fight, things were fixed within minutes."  
  
"You're comparing our RELATIONSHIP to our FRIENDSHIP. They were two entirely different things. As friends, we wouldn't have ever tried to get married. As friends, you wouldn't have cared who I slept with. As friends, we were just that, friends. A relationship is much more complicated than a friendship."  
  
"I know. But even when we first started dating we were more like friends than anything else."  
  
"Because I didn't fuck up then. Once I fucked up, it all changed. I changed, you changed, our whole relationship changed. Jeff, nothing is the same with us, and nothing ever will be!" I exclaimed storming off for the hotel. 


	13. Trust

A/N: Hey ya'll. Long time no see, right? Sorry bout that. I'm still on the lacking side of ideas. Hell, the only reason I get United Paths done half the time is cause Lindsay kicks my ass to get it done. Lol Um, this will probably be the last chapter out for about a week. I leave for Louisville, KY on the 25th and will be gone till November 1st. And how about my Yankees kicking some Red Sox ass!!! I love my men in the pin stripes!! GO POSADA AND PETTITTE!!!! I love them. So another year in the World Series and hopefully we can sweep the Marlins in 4 games. That'll be spiffy. They'll be World Series champs once again!! It's so hard to be a Yankee fan in New England, Red Sox, country, ya never know if you're gonna get jumped by someone. Lol Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I'm freezing, my Yankees are playing, etc. I'll see what I can do about getting another chapter in this week. Oh and HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY TO ME in one hour and 13 minutes. Lol I'm so pathetic. Anyways, story time!  
  
***************  
  
Sighing I switched the channel from Raw to Road Rules, unable to watch my "friends" doing what they love to do best. I was in another hotel room, this one fancier than any I had been in on the road with the WWE. But it didn't make it any better. You could only work out and swim by yourself so many times before it got old. I looked down at my watch and flopped back on the bed, realizing that Jeff wouldn't be back from his concert for another half hour or so. I felt as if I was destined to be in this hotel room by myself forever. I guess I should be happy that Jeff wasn't forcing me to go to the concerts with him. I had been to all of them, except for the past two. Of course I loved to be there to support him, but some days I just wanted to wallow away in my tears, and today was one of those days. I closed my eyes and thought deeply, about nothing, when I started hearing my cell phone ring. Startled, I jumped up quickly and grabbed it off the nite stand.  
  
"Hello?" I questioned, not thinking to look at the caller ID.  
  
"Casey?" the voice responded. A small smile crossed my face.  
  
"Hi," I said shyly.  
  
"I miss you."  
  
"I miss you too Sugar."  
  
"I'm glad. Well, I'm glad that you miss me cause that means you still care about me."  
  
"Of course I still care about you. I told you that two months ago. I left a message on your cell."  
  
"Yeah, I know, I just figured you'd be off and married to Jeff by now. Ya know, working on children. So you'd be too busy to think about me."  
  
"Shane, not a day goes by when I don't think about you."  
  
"Yeah, same here."  
  
"Why'd you send back my ring then?"  
  
"I love you Casey."  
  
"That doesn't answer my question."  
  
"Yeah, it does. I let you go by giving it back. They always say that if you truly love someone, let them free, if they come back to you, then you truly know they're yours. Well, that ring was your, well, leash I suppose, and giving it back to you meant I was letting you go."  
  
"Thank you," I smiled.  
  
"Baby, I'm back," Jeff's voice spoke in a whisper as I was gently shaken. My eyes fluttered open and I looked up into his green eyes, a soft tired smile on his face. He bent down and kissed my forehead after moving my hair back off of my face.  
  
"Welcome back," I yawned. "Good show?"  
  
"Not bad," he replied sitting on the bed next to me, to take off his boots. He let out a deep breath and leaned back, resting his head on my lap. "I'm so tired. And kinda sore."  
  
"Go take a hot shower. That'll make you feel better," I said running my hand through his dark purple hair. He nodded at me and I bent down to kiss his soft lips. He lingered there for a bit before finally breaking it and jumping into the shower.  
  
I laid on the bed thinking about the dream I had just had. After having it, I realized that what Shane did, wasn't malicious or anything like that, he was just loving me. I instantly forgave him. How could I not?  
  
"I'm here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind. I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time," I sang. "I'm here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams. And tonight it's only you and me." Jeff walked out of the bathroom, a towel around this waist and towel drying his hair. He sat on the bed and listened to the song. I looked up at him and smiled, unsure why he was giving me the strange look he was giving me. "What?" I finally asked.  
  
"What's that song?" he asked.  
  
"Um, 3 Doors Down, "Here Without You". Why?"  
  
"I think it was November, when you were dating Randy, I had this weird dream about you and I."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, and for some reason that song reminds me of the dream."  
  
"Well, are you going to tell me about the dream or not?" I laughed wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his bare shoulder.  
  
"Do you believe that dreams can tell the future?" he asked seriously. I crawled beside him and grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I mean I have dreams like that all the time. Why? Do you think this one did?"  
  
"Yeah. Matt and Amy had a daughter and we were babysitting her and she was 18 months old. Her name was Nichole."  
  
"Wow, that is kinda weird. Anything else like that happen?"  
  
"No, well, kinda. It seemed that you left the WWE to be with me. But not only that, you and I were also married and going on a weekend honeymoon cause I was going on tour for about 2 months."  
  
"Well, that sucks," I laughed.  
  
"Yeah, like I'm just gonna give you a two day, one nite honeymoon," Jeff laughed. "It was very weird, I guess we got married in a little wedding chapel in Las Vegas."  
  
"Oh as if that'd actually happen," I laughed shooting up from my seat on the bed. I knelt down on the floor between his legs and held his hands in mine.  
  
"What? Getting married? Or getting married in Las Vegas?" he asked looking down at me.  
  
"Vegas," I replied quickly. He smiled at me and pulled me up to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he stood, only to lay me down on the bed. He whipped his towel off with a laugh and threw it off to the side before lowering himself down on top of me.  
  
************  
  
Cities, states, and many weeks later, we were back home for a short two day break before we'd have to go back on the road to finish the tour. I was lounging out on the couch while Jeff was out with Matt and Shannon. Crystal and Amy had just left me, giving me messages by the ton load from all the guys and divas. It made me smile, but also broke my heart. True, I had gotten used to the restrictions Jeff had me on. And yes, he had gotten rid of some of them. But it didn't mean that I didn't miss everyone.  
  
That nite, Jeff was out in the trailer working on some new tunes. I had decided to turn on RAW, for the first time since I left. The first match was Shane against Jimmy Yang for the Cruiserweight title. Shane walked down with a new girl I had never met before, but I knew she had been on WCW. She had been at OVW for the longest time, and I suppose she got the call up. Shane kissed her softly and my heart sunk. Tears started trickling down my cheeks as the match got underway and Jeff walked into the house.  
  
"I think I have another hit in my hands!" he smiled, bounding into the living room. He dropped his journal and pencil on the end table and ran to my side when he heard my sobs. "What's the matter?"  
  
"I miss them," I cried.  
  
"Miss who?"  
  
"THEM!! All of them! Jeff, don't you ever miss them?" I asked pointing to the tv.  
  
"Of course I do. But I see who I want to truly see. So it doesn't really bother me."  
  
"Well, it bothers me! Jeff, I miss the ring, I miss the fans, I miss wrestling, I miss all my family. Daddy's gonna have his retirement match VERY soon and I'm not going to be able to witness that!"  
  
"I'm sorry Casey! What the hell do you want me to do about it?"  
  
"I want you to let me go back."  
  
"I can't do that Case. You know that," he sighed.  
  
"Why? Do you still not trust me?!"  
  
"NO! I do trust you. I don't trust him!" Jeff yelled shooting a finger at the tv to where Shane was laying on the mat being attended to by his new valet.  
  
***********  
  
"So he won't let you come back because of Shane?!" Amy exclaimed feeding Nichole a bottle.  
  
"Nope. How stupid is that?! I mean, Shane doesn't want me anymore. I know that, you know that, EVERYONE knows that except for Jeff. I'm pretty pissed off!" I cried taking out a can of Coke.  
  
"I can imagine you would be. How'd you get him to let you stay home this week?" Amy asked.  
  
"I didn't. He told me that I could go, or stay home this week and then fly out to Vegas on Sunday morning. So I said I'd stay here."  
  
"Feel free?" she asked.  
  
"Not exactly. He calls the house phone every freakin hour. I just don't get it. He said he trusted me. But if he's calling so much then he obviously doesn't."  
  
"I don't think Jeff truly realizes that us girls need our space. He's kinda crowding you out, huh?"  
  
"Oh yeah. But what can I do about it? I mean, it's a damned if you, damned if you don't situation. If I tell him how claustrophobic he's made me, then I could possibly lose him. If I keep my mouth shut, then I'll be stuck in his little bubble forever," I laughed. "Don't get me wrong. I love Jeff, and I love that he gives me so much attention. But this is TOO much attention. It's overbearing."  
  
"Maybe he'll let up."  
  
"I hope so," I sighed watching her put Nichole in the play pen Jeff and I had set up all the time for when we were babysitting our niece. "So, you going back to wrestling?"  
  
"Ya know, I haven't decided yet. I mean I miss it. But I then again, I also travel with Matt at least once a week. So the only thing I'm really missing is going to the ring. But I love spending all this time with Cole. She's my baby," Amy smiled. I nodded at her as she sat next to me on the couch. "I'm almost thinking I won't go back. I wanna watch her grow up. I don't want to miss one minute."  
  
"I can understand that."  
  
"Are you and Jeff going to get married?" she asked.  
  
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed as she caught me off guard with her question.  
  
"I was just wondering if you and Jeff were talking about getting married or anything."  
  
"No, no way. I don't think we're able to do that just yet. It's only been a year. And we've only been together for what? Almost 3 months. I don't want to marry him. Not yet anyways."  
  
"Well, Matt and I are getting a little restless about having nephews and nieces. It's not fair that you and Jeff get to have all the fun!" she laughed nudging my shoulder.  
  
"Oh God. I don't even want to think about having kids yet. That's just frightening," I said.  
  
She growled at me playfully before her eyes opened wide. "I almost forgot!" she cried reaching into the baby bag. She pulled out a little box and handed it to me.  
  
"What's this?" I asked looking at it.  
  
"I was told to tell you to open it when you were alone. So do so," she smiled glancing at her watch. "I should go. Matt's going to call any minute now. I'll see you later sweetie." She bent down to hug me before gathering Nichole's stuff and her daughter.  
I watched her leave and shook my head. I opened the box and smiled. Inside there was a little note from the gift giver and a little Tigger figurine.  
  
'Dear Case,  
  
I know I probably shouldn't be doing this, but I couldn't help myself. I realize that I have no more feelings for you and I've moved on to a beautiful woman that I'm madly in love with. But in hopes that I can still count on you in case I need help, I wanted to give you a little gift. It's not much, but I figured you'd like it. I know we can't talk or see each other because of this agreement you have with Jeff, but maybe we can write each other or something. I just don't want to lose you as a friend. You're a great person. What we had together as friends and as a couple was special. I'd like that back eventually, if Jeff can ever get his act together and realize I don't want nor need you anymore. Jeff's a very lucky man, and so am I. If for whatever reason we can't be friends, I'm glad I had you in my life for that amount of time. I'm going to go now, but you're in my heart.  
  
Love, Sugar Shane Helms'  
  
I took the figurine and the note upstairs with me. I hid the note with my Green Lantern t-shirt and put the figurine on the dresser. I made a note to myself to write Shane back and to make up a story to tell Jeff if he should happen ask about the Tigger. I yawned and laid down on the bed, Luna and Liger on either side of me, and fell asleep quickly. 


	14. Reunited

A/N: Alright, just a little note. Did anyone read about John Cena? About his sexual encounters? The boy is a male slut. Like majorly. Lol During a radio show, he took a sex quiz and they found out that he's done a three- way, had sex with a woman on her period, had sex in his parents home, had interracial sex, has been filmed having sex, had sex in his car, had one night stands and claimed 50 sexual partners in his lifetime. DAMN!! Lol I think there was more that I was gonna tell ya'll, but I can't remember now. Yeah, my memory is like shot lately. Guess my old age has brought that on. Lol Anyways, CHAPTER!!! Just another quick note, I really don't know much bout WCW. I know that Shane had a real relationship with Nitro Girl, Baby, but that's about it. So, um, yeah.......  
  
************  
  
I rested my head against the window of the plane. In about a half hour I'd be landing in Las Vegas. I knew I had to tell Jeff. I had been keeping this to myself for far too long. In fact, I had been keeping this secret for 2 months. I had to tell someone, and I knew that someone had to be Jeff.  
  
"But how?" I asked myself out loud.  
  
"Are you alright?" an older woman asked me. She sat in the seat next to me and smile. She was fairly large, in her 40's with graying brown hair. She had a sweet voice and smile.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied smiling back at her. I placed my head back on the window and slipped my headphones on my head.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you though," I said turning my head to roll my eyes.  
  
"What's a girl like you going to Las Vegas for?"  
  
"My boyfriend."  
  
She laughed and responded, "How'd you meet a boy in Vegas?!"  
  
"Well, he doesn't live in Vegas. He's from North Carolina. But he's a rock star. And he has a concert there tomorrow nite."  
  
"Oh? What's his name?"  
  
"Jeff Hardy."  
  
"Doesn't ring a bell. What kind of music does he play?"  
  
"Rock, heavy metal, alternative, pretty much everything," I chuckled.  
  
"Ah, I see. Is he big?"  
  
"Fairly. He's getting bigger everyday. He just came out with his first album. So this is his first tour."  
  
"Well, good luck to him and to you," she smiled before burying her head in a magazine. I shook my head and concentrated on my music.  
  
When I stepped into the terminal I took a deep breath. I was trying to figure out how to break the news to Jeff. I put my hand on my stomach and sighed as Jeff ran at me. He picked me up in his arms and swung me in a circle.  
  
"I missed you," he whispered as we kissed.  
  
"I missed you too," I replied.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"We need to talk," I said.  
  
"Uh-oh. I don't know if I like the sound of this."  
  
"Can we talk at the hotel?"  
  
"Yeah, of course. Let's go get your luggage." He grabbed my luggage and we were off to the Palms where we'd be staying for the next 2 days.  
  
"This is a beautiful room," I said looking around the large open room.  
  
"Yeah, but it's been really lonely without you to share it with me," he smiled setting my bags on the floor. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the bed. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"  
  
"I really don't know how to tell you this," I sighed looking down at the floor. "God, I'm so scared."  
  
"No, no, not again!" Jeff exclaimed quickly standing and starting to pace. "Ya know Case, this FUCKIN SUCKS!!!"  
  
"Jeff, no, calm down," I pleaded with him, reaching for his arm.  
  
"Who this time Case? Hmm? The mail man perhaps?" Jeff snapped.  
  
"NO! I did not sleep with anyone but you! I haven't cheated on you. I swear!!" I screamed. He stopped pacing and stared at me, his arms crossed. "This has nothing to do with me or anyone else cheating. Please, just sit down and calm down?"  
  
"Then why the hell are you so scared to talk to me about whatever the hell is goin on?!"  
  
"I'm afraid of losing you! I'm afraid of fucking up your career! I'm afraid of being left alone!!" I cried. He dropped down in front of me and wrapped his arms around my waist.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I've been keeping this to myself for the past 2 months. I haven't told anyone. I'm........Jeff, you and I......" I lowered my head and shook it as tears hit the floor.  
  
"Casey, you can tell me anything. What have you been keeping from me for 2 months? You and I are what?" Jeff asked calmly.  
  
"We're going to have a baby," I whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm pregnant with your child," I repeated.  
  
"Oh my God," Jeff sighed starting to pace again.  
  
"I knew this was going to be bad," I cried.  
  
"No, no, Case, you've got it all wrong. I love you and I'm going to love our child," he smiled at me. "Why'd you keep it from me this long?"  
  
"Like I said, I was scared."  
  
"You had nothing to be scared of. Baby, you're the world to me. Something like this would NEVER upset me. I love you."  
  
"I didn't fuck up again?"  
  
"Oh God no!" Jeff laughed sitting on the bed next to me. "WE fucked up!" He leaned in and kissed me. "I'm not going to leave you, I'm not going to leave our baby, and this is not going to screw with my career. If anything, it'll help. You'll give me more inspiration."  
  
"Are you sure?" I questioned as he wiped my cheeks.  
  
"Positive," he smiled. "Well, this was quite the little surprise you had for me. And to think, I wanted you out here today to give you a surprise!"  
  
"A surprise?" I asked smiling.  
  
"Yeah, come on," he replied grabbing my hand and the room key.  
  
*************  
  
"Well, you look quite relaxed there, Shane," Trish laughed looking at him lounged out on the bench in the Diva's locker room.  
  
"Yeah, well, you've got some comfy benches," he smiled up at her. She shook her head and threw her bag on the floor. "Nah, I'm just waiting for Shannon to get out of the bathroom."  
  
"And you can't do that in the hall?" Nora asked throwing a towel at him.  
  
"Nope, there would be no fun in that. I wouldn't be able to see you fine ladies getting dressed," Shane smirked wiggling his eyebrows as his girlfriend, Shannon, walked towards him.  
  
"Excuse me?" she asked wrapping her arms around his neck.  
  
"Nothing sweetie," he replied with a false smile on his face.  
  
"Oh my God!! You will never guess who I just heard was going to be here tonite," Stacy exclaimed bounding into the locker room with Andrew right behind her.  
  
"Who?" Trish asked.  
  
"Jeff and Casey!" Stacy replied excitedly.  
  
"Wwwhat?" Shane stuttered.  
  
"Yeah, I know, it's hard to believe, but that's what Shannon and Matt told me," Andrew smiled.  
  
"I can't believe this. I haven't talked to her in so long!" Trish cried fighting back tears of happiness.  
  
"Um, I'm gonna go get some, um, food," Shane said walking out of the locker room.  
  
"What's the matter with him?" Shannon asked.  
  
"Well, he and Casey had a very strong relationship. They haven't spoken, seen, or anything with each other since she left the WWE to be with Jeff," Nora replied.  
  
"Oh, I see," Shannon sighed crashing on a bench. "Is she coming back for him?"  
  
"Oh no! She and Jeff have this like agreement going on. She's not allowed to have anything to do with Shane. And there's a hell of a lot more to it, but that's basically it," Trish explained. "You have nothing to worry about."  
  
"I hope not. I mean Shane's told me a lot about her, and he still carries a picture of the two of them together. But I didn't think he'd truly act like this when hearing she was coming back."  
  
"Jeff, what are we doing here?" I asked holding his hand tightly as we walked down the hall of the arena.  
  
"Surprise," he replied stopping us in the hall. He faced me and smiled. "I know how hard it's been for you to give up your friends like you did for me. I want you to have them back for like a day at least. And I'm sorry for being the asshole I've been. I've realized that not everyone can live with just the few friends they have like I can. You need to be around a large group. That's all there is to it." I laughed and lunged at him, kissing him passionately.  
  
"No way!" There was a voice behind us and when we broke away I was ecstatic to see the speaker. I jumped into his large arms, he lifted me off the floor. I studied his features, he hadn't changed a bit. He still had the same crew cut, wore the same baggy jeans and jerseys, and large chain around his neck. "What the hell are you doing here?!"  
  
"Jeff surprised me!" I laughed as we hugged once again. "I missed you John."  
  
"I missed you too. Wow, you look, AMAZING! And your hair! Dude, it's, its," John stuttered.  
  
"Normal?" I questioned.  
  
"Yeah! What's up with that?" he laughed.  
  
"Well, I just didn't feel like re-dying it a different color once the dark blue faded. Believe it or not, this is my original color," I replied lifting a chunk of my dark blonde, light brown hair.  
  
"It looks great," he nodded at me. "God, it's so good to see you."  
  
"It's good to see you too," I smiled. "I'm gonna go see who else I can find. I'll see you later." I reached up and kissed his cheek before taking Jeff's hand and leading him down the hall.  
  
"Feel any better?" he asked.  
  
"Tons!" I replied. "Thank you so much!"  
  
"Anything for you babe. The mother of my baby. Wow," he laughed as I took off.  
  
"Daddy!" I screamed excitement in my voice. He turned around and held his face in shock.  
  
"Well, my God. Darlin," he smiled kneeling down and opening his arms. I ran to him and he wrapped his arms around me.  
  
"I love you," I said resting my head on his shoulder.  
  
"I love you too. Why haven't you called me?" he asked.  
  
"I dunno. I guess I thought you didn't care about me anymore since I left."  
  
"Honey, that wouldn't ever happen. You're my baby girl," he smiled. "What are you doing here anyways?"  
  
"Jeff surprised me with a trip to see ya'll."  
  
"Well, where is that boy of yours?"  
  
"I don't know. I kinda left him to run after you," I laughed.  
  
"You look good."  
  
"Thanks. You too. When's the retirement match?"  
  
"Tonite," he chuckled. "I don't want to leave, but I know I have to."  
  
"I'm sorry Daddy," I sighed. "I have some news."  
  
"Oh? Are you coming back?!"  
  
"Oh, no, no, unfortunately. I'm, I'm pregnant," I replied biting on my lip.  
  
"You're pregnant?! I'm gonna be a granddaddy?!" he exclaimed, his smile far bigger than I'd ever seen on his face.  
  
"Yeah, looks that way!"  
  
"How long?!" He hugged me tightly.  
  
"Um, I've known for 2 months. And I just told Jeff today."  
  
"Darlin, why'd you keep it to yourself so long?"  
  
"I don't know. I just did. But everything's okay," I smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you're here. I couldn't imagine me having this nite without you," he said kissing my cheek.  
  
"I couldn't imagine not being her for this," I said as he stood. He rubbed my shoulder and walked away. I sighed and turned around, going to find Jeff. I walked down the hall a bit, I saw Jeff, but he pointed behind me and I turned. Shane stood there, unsure what to do. I looked back to Jeff and he just nodded with a slight smile. I started to cry and jumped into Shane's arms. I felt him hold me tightly, lifting me off the floor just a bit, and his tears hitting my shoulder. "Oh God Shane."  
  
"Casey, I missed you so much," he cried.  
  
"I missed you too," I cried as he put me down. "We're crying."  
  
"Yeah, what's up wit dat?!" he laughed. "You look beautiful."  
  
"Thank you. You look great too," I smiled wiping my cheeks.  
  
"It's been so weird without you. Are you back?"  
  
"No, it's just a visit."  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
"I can't come back for at the very least another 7 months."  
  
"Why do you say 7 months?"  
  
"Well, Jeff and I....."  
  
"Shane, there you are!" A cute blonde girl walked up to us. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a midriff white t-shirt, which match her low rise jeans perfectly. She looked like the classic stereotypical blonde. She kissed Shane and I stood back, letting them have whatever moment they were having. She turned to me and smiled. "You must be Casey. Shane has told me SO much about you!"  
  
"Um, yeah, hi," I replied.  
  
"I'm Shane's girlfriend, Shannon McNeill," she smiled shaking my hand.  
  
"Hi, it's nice to meet you."  
  
"CASEY!!" Nora cried behind me. I quickly turned and smiled at her as she ran at me and hugged me tightly.  
  
"Hi!" I laughed. She grabbed my hand and started pulling me down the hall.  
  
"Trish has some MASSIVE news that she has to tell you!" Nora exclaimed.  
  
I turned back to Shane and shook my head, mouthing, 'I'll get back to you later!' He nodded at me and I went with Nora. We walked into the locker room and Stacy jumped at me, to show me her wedding ring, since her and Andrew had gotten married a month ago.  
  
"Trish!" I called with a smiled.  
  
"Casey," she called back with a laugh. The crowd of people parted and we saw each other. We hugged and cried, but it was all in happiness. "I'm so glad you're here!"  
  
"Me too! I missed you!" I smiled. "So what's this news Nora told me you had for me?"  
  
"Tim and I are getting married!" she exclaimed holding her hand out to me. I screeched happily and hugged her once again. "Yeah, he proposed two weeks ago!"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me!?"  
  
"Cause I didn't know how to get in touch with you."  
  
"Oh. Well, you could have called Jeff's cell phone."  
  
"I didn't know the number."  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm happy for you."  
  
"Well, there's more. I want you to be in the wedding."  
  
"What? But you have such a big family. How could you possibly have room for me?"  
  
"Because you're my sister."  
  
"I love you Trish."  
  
"So, you'll be in it?"  
  
"Um, as long as it's after 7 months."  
  
"Oh yeah! It's not gonna be until like next year. Plenty of time," Trish smiled. "Why 7 months?"  
  
"I don't want to be fat for your wedding," I said sitting on the bench.  
  
"Oh, right! Cause you can see into the future," Trish joked.  
  
"No, seriously. Trish, I'm pregnant," I replied.  
  
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Wow. Um, wow."  
  
"Yeah, 2 months."  
  
"Well, congratulations!"  
  
"Thanks," I smiled hugging her.  
  
"So, are then you're Mrs. Hardy?"  
  
"OH NO!" I laughed. "No, Jeff and I aren't married. It just happened."  
  
"Well, still congratulations." She sat next to me and admired her ring. "Did you see Shane?"  
  
"Yeah, and I met Shannon. She seems like a really nice girl. I wanted to talk to him more, but Nora pulled me away," I laughed.  
  
"Well, go find him. Go talk to him. And congratulations," Trish said. I nodded and left the locker room. 


	15. The Name Game

A/N: I had someone ask me about the Cena interview. Well, I didn't hear it cause I live in Maine and Maine is a pit of nothing-ness. Lol I read it on www.wrestlingobserver.com. And now there's a STRONG HEATED discussion about Jeff's return to the WWE and about RVD's firing. I give up with people....seriously, a lot of them are just stupid. Lol So like I'm sure everyone knows about the interviews RVD has been doing that kinda bash the WWE. No he's not being fired, they're tryin everything in their power to keep him, but he doesn't really want to stay. So everyone's arguing about that in my Jeff Hardy fan club. And then people are saying that Jeff's return is just a rumor when in fact it is not. He's confirmed that he'll be back in March. No exact date, but sometime in March. Everyone's arguing about that. Personally I think he'll be back at Wrestle Mania. And is anyone else addicted to the I Love the 80's: Strikes Back on VH1? Lol I like so remember like 98% of the stuff on that show! And yes, I know I'm an evil person.......you'll see why I say that at the end of this chapter. This is the last chapter until I get back from Louisville. So ya'll have at the very least a week to wait. Anyways, here's the chapter!  
  
***************  
  
After spending the rest of the nite before the show in catering with Chris, Jay, Rob, and some of the other guys, I decided to go looking for Shane. I was walking alone, Jeff was off with Shannon someplace, and found Adam talking to Rey and Terry. Rey nudged Adam and the three of them started walking towards me.  
  
"Damn Chica! Bout time you came to visit,' Rey smiled kissing my cheek.  
  
"Rey and I will catch up with you later. We have a match right now," Terry smiled patting my shoulder. "Good to see you kiddo." I waved to them as they left Adam and I.  
  
"Case," Adam smiled enveloping me in his arms. "Not the same without you here."  
  
"Yeah, so I've been told," I laughed.  
  
"I heard a silly rumor earlier," Adam broke into a laugh. "I was told you're pregnant."  
  
"I am Adam," I replied.  
  
"Oh my God," Adam said leaning against the wall.  
  
"I've known for about 2 months."  
  
"Well, um, congratulations, I guess," he said rubbing the side of his face.  
  
"You share my feelings about the whole thing!" I laughed.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I don't know all about this mother business."  
  
"You'll be a great mother!"  
  
"But I've never wanted kids. I'm too immature for that kind of responsibility."  
  
"Casey, you're great with Mikey, K, Willow, and Nichole. You'll be great with your own."  
  
"I'm glad you think so." I looked passed Adam and saw Shane walking down the hall in his street clothes. I kissed Adam's cheek and smiled. "I gotta go talk to Shane. I'll see you later."  
  
"Love ya kid," Adam smiled as I ran off to catch up to Shane.  
  
"Hey, I've been looking for you," I said grabbing his hand.  
  
"Well, here I am."  
  
"Got time to talk?"  
  
"Yeah, let's go to catering," he said holding my hand as we walked. "How have you been?"  
  
"Eh, I could be better. You?" I asked as I sat across from him at a table in the far back corner.  
  
"Great. I don't think I could be happier," he smiled. "I'm glad you're here."  
  
"Me too. I'm glad I could be here. I'm so surprised Jeff let me hang out without him," I said. "Listen, Shane, I have something I have to tell you."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I'm sure you've already heard the rumors."  
  
"No, I haven't heard anything. What's up?"  
  
"Well, I'm pregnant," I said softly.  
  
"O, oh. Um, I see," Shane stuttered.  
  
"Yeah, Jeff and I are going to have a baby."  
  
"How far along are you?"  
  
"About 2 and a half months. I found out 2 months ago."  
  
"Is it mine?"  
  
"No, Shane, it's not."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Shane, I'm positive it's Jeff's."  
  
"Well, if it's mine I want to know and I want to be there for it. You can't cut me out of my child's life!"  
  
"Shane! Listen to the words coming out of my mouth! The baby is JEFF'S!" I exclaimed. "Jesus Shane."  
  
"Sorry, calm down, okay? I just, I was just making sure."  
  
"I know. But you have nothing to worry about." I sighed and looked around the emptying room. "So, um, Shannon seems nice."  
  
"Yeah, I love her. She's great. I mean, I was in love with her years ago and her coming back here brought all those feelings back."  
  
"Well, good luck with her."  
  
"Casey, am I going to have you if I need you? Or are you going to leave here and I'll never see you again?"  
  
"I don't know. Things with Jeff still aren't the peachiest. I'm still amazed that he let me hang out with you."  
  
"So he still doesn't trust you?"  
  
"Oh no, he trusts me tons. It's you he doesn't trust."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"There you are baby!" Jeff smiled sitting down next to me. He kissed my cheek and glared at Shane. "Hey."  
  
"Hi Jeff. Congratulations on your music success and on the baby. You and Casey will make great parents," Shane smiled getting up from the table. "It was good seeing you guys."  
  
I watched him leave and shook my head. "Did I do something wrong?" Jeff asked.  
  
"No, I don't know, possibly," I replied.  
  
"How you doing? You alright? Need to rest or anything?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I be fine?" I laughed.  
  
"Well, being in your condition......"  
  
"Jeff, I'm pregnant, not dying of some disease," I replied.  
  
"Well, how should I know? I've never been pregnant before."  
  
"Honey, that's VERY good to hear," I laughed standing up. "Let's go watch the show."  
  
"Casey, I love you."  
  
"I love you too Jeff. Thank you so much for doing this." I kissed him softly and his cheeks blushed slightly.  
  
"Awe shucks," he joked.  
  
****************  
  
"Can't believe we're going to do this," Jeff smiled as we drove down the road.  
  
"It's not that big of a deal."  
  
"Oh like hell it's not! Baby, you're 6 months pregnant. There's 3 more months. And I don't care what you say, we're finding out what the baby is today," Jeff said.  
  
"I don't think we should. I think we should be surprised."  
  
"Well, we need to think of names."  
  
"Honey, I've done that already."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Well, if it's a boy it'll be Blake Gilbert Hardy. If it's a girl then it'll be Alexandra Michelle Hardy."  
  
"Oh no. My baby boy is not going to be named some rich kid name like Blake."  
  
"I love the name Blake. In fact one of the really hot guys at my high school was named Blake."  
  
"Rich and preppy?"  
  
"Um, well, sorta."  
  
"Right, no Blake."  
  
"Then what do you suggest?"  
  
"Nero."  
  
"Oh hell no! Nero is NOT a choice."  
  
"Why the hell not?! It's my middle name!"  
  
"He's not going to be name Nero."  
  
"Fine," Jeff pouted as we pulled into the hospital parking lot. Jeff helped me out of the car and we walked into the hospital together. We were taken right in and I laid on the bed.  
  
"Jeff, I'm hungry," I sighed rubbing my stomach.  
  
"Oh gees, what a surprise," he muttered.  
  
"What was that?!" I snapped sitting up on my elbows.  
  
"Nothing honey. What are you hungry for?" he replied putting on a fake smile.  
  
I squinted at him in thought and then it hit me. "Cheese sticks."  
  
"Seriously?!"  
  
"Yeah, and peanut butter so I can dunk them," I smiled.  
  
"Oh God," he cringed disgustedly.  
  
"Good afternoon," our doctor smiled as she walked into the room.  
  
"Hi Dr. Curry," I smiled.  
  
"How are you feeling today?"  
  
"Oh fine!"  
  
"No pains, aches, discomforts?"  
  
"Oh well, of course, but other than the usual, I'm fine."  
  
"Yeah, the back pains are starting to set in," Jeff stated. "And her cravings for food are really bizarre."  
  
"Oh that's normal. I wouldn't worry too much about that," she laughed as she started the sonogram. "Well, there's the head."  
  
"It's the head!" Jeff exclaimed happily. I rolled my eyes and laid back, letting him enjoy everything.  
  
"Well, everything looks fine. Do you want to know the sex this time?" she asked.  
  
"Yes!" Jeff replied.  
  
"Casey?" she asked.  
  
"Oh just do what the little bugger wants," I sighed sitting up.  
  
"Well, looks like you're going to have a girl," she smiled.  
  
"A girl?!" Jeff smiled. "Oh wow. Baby, we're gonna have a baby girl!"  
  
"Yippie!" I said sarcastically.  
  
"Mood swings?" Dr. Curry whispered. Jeff nodded quickly.  
  
"Well, at least the name will be Alexandra," I sighed as Jeff helped me off the bed.  
  
"Yeah, we'll talk about this at home," Jeff laughed as we walked out of the room.  
  
"So I'll see you next month, same day, same time," Dr. Curry smiled.  
  
"Thanks," Jeff said.  
  
"What do we have to talk about at home?!" I exclaimed settling in the passenger seat.  
  
"Well, I don't know if I truly like the name Alexandra."  
  
"Well hell! You don't like Blake or Alexandra! Let's just NOT name our child then!"  
  
"We have plenty of time to discuss names. We can look through books and everything until we find the perfect one."  
  
"Why don't you just name the child yourself!? Obviously you don't like any of my suggestions."  
  
"Just calm down. It's not that I don't like Alexandra, cause I do, I just don't think I want my first child to be named that. I want it to be a special name."  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just all these hormones and shit."  
  
"I know, don't worry about it," Jeff smiled grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it.  
  
"Jeff, what about Alana?"  
  
"That's pretty. How about Mackenzie?"  
  
"No."  
  
"No? What's wrong with Mackenzie?"  
  
"I don't want her to have any nicknames like Kenzie, or Mack, or Macky."  
  
"Fine, whatever. Laura?"  
  
"Hell no. I knew a girl with that name and she was a complete and total bitch."  
  
"So I guess Casey's out too," he muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing. Libby?"  
  
"Possibility. Reagan?"  
  
"No way."  
  
"No?!"  
  
"Hey, you got to say no to some of mine. It's only fair Case."  
  
"Rune?"  
  
"Not bad."  
  
"Good, so at least we have a small list, right?" I laughed.  
  
"Right."  
  
****************  
  
"Jeff, I wanted to have the room either blue or a dark purple!" I exclaimed as I walked into the newly painted spare bedroom.  
  
"What's wrong with pink?! It's the classic baby girl color!" he argued.  
  
"Maybe because it's PINK!" I screamed. "Jeff, I fuckin hate pink! You know that!"  
  
"Well, I want the room pink. And since it already is, too damn bad!" he said pushing past me to go into the bedroom.  
  
"Oh that's bull shit! We never discussed any of this!"  
  
"Well we never discussed having the baby either, but damn, it's happening!"  
  
"What the hell does that mean?!"  
  
"I don't even think this baby is mine!" he screamed at me.  
  
"Oh like fuck it's not! Who else's would it be?!"  
  
"Shane's!"  
  
"Fuck you Jeff. You're such a fuckin asshole! Ya know what, forget it. I'm out of here. You'll never see me or the baby!" I screamed storming out of the bedroom. I reached the top of the stairs and Luna was asleep. I nudged her with my foot and all she did was growl quietly. "FUCKIN MOVE LUNA!" I screamed loudly at her. When she hardly moved, I decided to step over her. Just as I lifted my left foot to follow my right, she moved, tripping me, and causing me to fall down the stairs.  
  
"Casey?!" Jeff yelled hearing my screams and the table by the stairs break. He stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at me in horror. I was on my back and looked lifeless. "Oh Jesus!" He skipped down half the stairs and knelt down next to me. He lifted my hand, letting if drop to my side like a paper weight. "Casey, come on! Wake up baby. I'm sorry. This is all my fault!" he cried. He rubbed my forehead, but I still laid there still and silent. He grabbed his phone and called 911, too afraid to move me incase he would cause permanent damage. The paramedics were on their way and he sat there, holding my hand and crying. Whispering words of love to me as we waited. 


	16. August 15, 2007

A/N: Well, I'm back from Louisville and I'm ready to go back. Lol I really had a great time there. Even if all we did was hang out at other people's houses smoking and shit. Lol It was still one of the best weeks I've ever had. And I miss everyone I met! Can't wait to get back there! So alright, onto story shit. Sorry that I ended it the way I did, but I love to keep ya'll in suspense. Yeah, I'm evil. And I love it. lol So here's the long awaited chapter. And yes, I realize this chapter is very short. And no, I'm not impressed with it at all. So there!  
  
*************  
  
'Rune Christine Hardy  
  
Aug. 15, 2007- Aug. 15, 2007  
  
Loved by all, even if she didn't have a chance to live'  
  
I knew I was dreaming when I read the writing on the tombstone. I didn't know who Rune was, exactly, but I had a bad feeling about everything.  
  
My eyes started to open slowly, but all I saw was a very bright light. I smiled slightly, thinking back to all the jokes my friends and I made about not walking towards the light. When everything came into focus, my smile left my face and I knew something was wrong. I tried to sit up, but a pain in my neck and back stopped me. I ran a hand over my stomach and started to panic, thinking back to my dream.  
  
"Jeff?!" I tried to cry out only to hear a raspy voice. I swallowed and cleared my dry throat. "Jeff?!"  
  
"Casey?" he replied running to my side. He took my hand and softly kissed the back of it. "Oh God baby! You scared me so much!"  
  
"Jeff, where's my baby?!" I exclaimed ripping my hand out of his.  
  
"Casey, you need to relax, okay?" he spoke quietly, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.  
  
"Is my baby okay?" I repeated trying to keep my tears at bay.  
  
"We'll talk about this later. Right now you need to rest."  
  
"Don't fuck around with me! There's something wrong and I know it! Now tell me where my baby is!" I cried.  
  
"We lost her," he said softly, bowing his head.  
  
"No, you're lying," I grumbled tears flowing down my stone etched face.  
  
"I wish I was sweetie. She's gone."  
  
"Jeff, this is a very cruel joke."  
  
"It's not a joke."  
  
"Casey! Oh thank God you're awake!" Amy cried as she ran into the room with matt right behind her. She looked at Jeff and I and sighed. "how are you feeling?"  
  
"Tell me he's lying," I said.  
  
"Lying?" she asked looking at Jeff, who only shook his head.  
  
"Tell me my baby is alive and well."  
  
"Case, sweetie, he's not lying," Matt sighed smoothing back his hair.  
  
"No, no, no! You're both lying! Ames, please, tell me my baby isn't dead," I pleaded with her.  
  
"Honey, when you fell down the stairs and broke through that table, you lost her. I would love to tell you that she's alive. But I can't. She died in the fall. I'm sorry," Amy cried through her explanation.  
  
I looked over at Jeff and lost it when I saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," I whispered as Jeff hugged me tightly.  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry about. It was a stupid fight that should have never happened. It's more my fault than anyone else's. Including yours," Jeff said running his hand through my hair.  
  
"Can I go home?" I asked.  
  
"I'll go get the doctor," Matt smiled leaving the room.  
  
A few moments later I was signing release papers. Jeff wheeled me out of the hospital and helped me into the car. The ride was silent, an uncomfortable silence. Once home, I relaxed on the couch, fearing the stairs. Jeff was understanding and made a bed on the floor in the living room for him and I.  
  
*************  
  
"Hello? Casey? You home?" I was sitting on the floor of the spare room, Rune's room, packing up some of the things we had bought or received as gifts. There were footsteps on the stairs, but I pretty much ignored them. I picked up a teddy bear and held it tightly, wetting its head with my tears. "Case, you alright?" I looked to where the voice was coming from and sighed, placing the bear in the box.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked wiping my cheeks.  
  
"Just wanted to see how you were doing." I nodded and stood to carry the box to the small dresser. "Are you here alone?"  
  
"Yeah, Jeff's at some autograph session or something," I replied with a shrug.  
  
"You shouldn't be alone. You're still vulnerable."  
  
"I told him to go. No use in him sitting here watching me cry over nothing."  
  
"Angel, what happened to you isn't nothing. What happened to you was a horrible experience that a person doesn't just get over at a snap of their fingers."  
  
"Shane, what I don't understand is why I'm crying over someone I didn't even really want!" I cried dropping to the floor. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around me. "She was a mistake. She wasn't supposed to happen. And yet I was having her anyways. I didn't even think I'd make a good mother. Then all of a sudden she's ripped away from me. Taken from my body and life before I even got a chance to know her. And all I can do is cry about it!"  
  
"She was a part of you. And that part of you was taken away. If you weren't like this, I'd think there was something seriously wrong with you."  
  
"I loved her. And now she's gone," I sobbed into his chest.  
  
"I know. And I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened to you. This shouldn't have happened to Jeff. This shouldn't have happened to your unborn child. But it did. Casey, we both know things happen for a reason. And someday you'll find out why this happened to you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, hell, you may not find out why for another 30 years. But someday you'll find out the reasoning behind all this. And you'll know that it was worth it." I looked up at him and shook my head. He smiled, brightening up the dreary room. "You're a strong girl. You'll get past this like you have with everything else that has happened to you."  
  
"I'm sick of all this bad shit happening to me, Shane. When am I gonna get a break?"  
  
"The sun'll come out, tomorrow," he sang. I couldn't help but laugh and join in. He always knew how to cheer me up.  
  
"Thanks. I needed that," I smiled as he helped me stand.  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
"So, um, you're pretty brave to come over here," I said.  
  
"Yeah, well, I figured that since we have this like understanding as friends he could get over it," he replied. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, I wanted you to be the first to know. That's how much you mean to me. I'm gonna ask Shannon to marry me tonite."  
  
"That's great," I smiled reaching up to kiss his cheek.  
  
"Really?!" he exclaimed sounding shocked.  
  
"Yeah, you deserve to be happy. And Shannon seems like a wonderful girl. I'm happy for the two of you."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"I love you Shane. You know that. I don't want you to be unhappy. And I saw the look on your face when you were with her. I can't remember the last time I saw you that happy."  
  
"Anytime you were in my arms."  
  
"That's the past. You can't dwell in it. That's just the way the cookie crumbles."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But I'll never forget everything that we had together."  
  
"I'm glad, cause I gave you some of the best years of my life," I joked poking his stomach. "Shane, if you were forced to stop doing something you loved because you had to choose between that and someone and then a life changing experience causes you to realize that you want to get back to that something, how would you tell that someone?"  
  
"What?" he laughed.  
  
"I want to go back to wrestling but I don't know how to tell Jeff."  
  
"Oh, well, why didn't you say that in the first place?!"  
  
"Because I'm just that way."  
  
"Alright, if I was you I would just come right out and tell him. If he really loved you, then he would let you go back. He says he trusts you so he shouldn't have a problem with it. And as for him trusting me, he shouldn't worry about it cause I've got Shannon."  
  
"I just don't want to lose him too."  
  
"You won't Angel. I'm sure of it."  
  
******************  
  
"Jeff, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked standing from my seat in one of the casinos in Atlantic City where Jeff was going to play a charity concert.  
  
"Yeah sweetie, of course," he smiled walking towards me. He kissed my cheek and sat with me as the band tuned up for sound check.  
  
"Jeff, I want," I paused. "I want to go back to the WWE."  
  
"Casey," he sighed.  
  
"I know we have this whole agreement. But I miss it so much. I need to get back to it. I hate just sitting around waiting for you to get home. I hate living off your salary. I need to be doing something for myself. And I realized that I need to go back in order to be truly happen. Ever since the fall I knew that this is what I needed to do. I don't want to lose you, but I if I have to choose between you and the WWE again, I'm choosing wrestling."  
  
"Casey, do we have to talk about this right now?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, it's very important to me. I want to go back to wrestling. Are you going to let me, or will I have to leave you?"  
  
"Alright go back to wrestling. I don't want to lose you," he answered me holding my hands in his.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really. I want you to be happy and wrestling will make you happy. So I want you to wrestle," he smiled as he leaned in to kiss me. 


	17. New Faith

About a week after talking to Jeff about going back to wrestling, I talked to Vince. He signed me to a contract, but I was kind of on probation. Meaning if I messed up once, I was out. Unfortunately I had to go to OVW for a couple months before I could get on WWE tv. I had a new outlook on life and my career. I was going back to being Mystic Angel, which I was completely ecstatic about. I'd be a neutral character and going back to my Team Extreme look. When I asked how it would be possible to bring her back from the dead, they just explained that it was a miraculous recovery. I just went with, not really wanting to go back to my Bade character.  
  
Finally it was November and I was returning to the WWE. It was the perfect return, Survivor Series. I was practically skipping down the halls of the arena when I got there that afternoon. I talked to Shannon and Shane in catering, Shannon showed off her engagement ring and I couldn't have been happier for the two of them. I met all the newbies and hung out with all my old friends. I was just excited about being there and I was loving the storyline I was being put into. No longer would I be put in any regular matches with the women. The only time I was to wrestle the other Divas would be in tag matches and stipulation matches. I think I was ready for the show hours before it was to go on. Dressed in my old black jeans with Mystic Angel written on them and a black ripped up wife-beater over a bright blue sports tank top, I was ready to go. My hair was streaked purple, blue, green, and black and left down. I wore the old armbands I had originally worn and of course my classic boots. Pulled over my top was a brand new t-shirt I helped design with 'Only Those Worthy Enough Are Resurrected' written on the front with 'So Worship Me' written on the back with Mystic Angel under it and a broken halo hanging off the 'A'. For Heat I had done a vignette to be shown during the show to hype up my return.  
  
"Listen, you've been gone for a long time. Things have changed. If you want to get by in this business now, you have to be on my side. I hope I can count on you to bring light to all the unworthy assclowns, showing them who's right and who's wrong tonite," Chris spoke. I was hidden from the camera and stretched out my hand to shake his. I pulled my hand back and walked off. Chris stood there with a sinister grin on his face and stroked his newly grown back goatee. "Welcome back to hell." He laughed and shook his head as they shut the camera off.  
  
I walked back to Chris and bounced up and down slightly. He put his hands on my shoulders and laughed at me. "Killer, got bugs in your underwear?"  
  
"Dude, I'm so psyched to be back. You don't even understand!" I smiled.  
  
"We can tell you're happy to be back. We're happy to have you back," he replied. "Just calm down. We don't want any fans realizing who's coming back."  
  
"And how the hell are they goin to know that?"  
  
"I wouldn't at all be surprised if they could hear you out there," he joked. I rolled my eyes and took off for catering. I grabbed a couple bottles of water and sat down next to Jay and Adam, watching them eat.  
  
"I feel like a buzzard is going to swoop down on my chicken at any time now," Jay said hovering over his food.  
  
"She doesn't want your damn germs," Trish laughed sitting down with us.  
  
"How do you know? I happen to think I've got some totally awesome germs," he replied with a smug smile.  
  
"You're the only one," Adam laughed.  
  
"Aw, don't be so mean to Jay. He can't help it if he's a stupid blonde," I smiled shaking my head.  
  
"At least I haven't dyed my hair so many times that it's seeped into my brain," he shot back.  
  
"Well hey, if you all are gonna sit here and banter with each other instead of getting ready for the show, feel free to do so," Shane smiled leaning on the table.  
  
"Dude, we have time to argue," Jay replied.  
  
"You don't," Shane smiled pointing to the clock. "You have a match in 4 minutes."  
  
"Oh shit!" Jay jumped up from his seat and ran out of catering. I glanced at my watch and started laughing.  
  
"Shane, there's a half hour before his match," I said.  
  
"Yeah, I know, I fixed the clock to be ahead," he laughed. "He should realize that I was lying in like 5 minutes when he sees that my Shannon and Amy are waiting for their title match."  
  
"You're so bad," Trish snickered slapping Shane's arm playfully.  
  
"Speaking of matches, I'm going to go through my routine. I'm kinda nervous," I said standing up.  
  
"You'll be great, just like you never left," Adam smiled rubbing my arm.  
  
"I hope so!" I said running out.  
  
****************  
  
I watched 4 way steel cage match for the WWE Undisputed Championship on the monitor in the gorilla position. Chris was getting beaten up royally by Randy while John took care of Brock. The only way to win was to climb out. No submissions, no pins, and no door escape. I was waiting for the time when I would come in. Somehow Chris had gotten himself alone and was going towards the side of the cage, getting ready to climb over. Randy saw Chris and quickly tried to pull him from the cage. I ran out there, making the audience think I was the mysterious person that was there to help Chris win. And that's exactly what they thought. They gave a massive pop when I ran down the ramp and started climbing the cage. I stood at the top just as Randy pulled Chris off with a German suplex. Randy rolled off to the side next to Chris and I positioned myself for a high flying move. I ripped my t-shirt off and threw it into the crowd. I looked to both sides and smiled as I nodded at them.  
  
"Oh my God! It's Mystic Angel!! What the hell is going on here?! She can't be here! She had to retire due to injuries cause by Rhyno!" Tazz yelled.  
  
"Is she who Chris Jericho was talking to earlier?! Is she going to help him win the belt tonite?!" King yelled as I leaped off the cage doing a Halo's Twist on........Chris! I stood up and smiled down at him, kicking him in the ribs. I walked over to Randy pulled him to his feet. He looked at me confused as both Brock and John ran for him. I pointed to the top of the cage and nodded before we both got knocked down by Brock and John. I shook it off and stood. I did a drop kick to John as Brock went for an F-5 on Randy. I quickly ran to Brock and did a low drop kick to his knees. Randy was dropped and he scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could. He tried to climb the cage while I tried to keep Brock and John busy. He dropped to the ground and his music was played through out the arena, much to the delight of the fans. Unfortunately for me, I was stuck inside the ring with all the guys, and they weren't too happy with what I had done, especially Chris. Randy gave the crowd a tired, but smug smile, as the ref handed him the belt. I was being backed into the corner of the ring as Randy was celebrating his win. He glanced around him, no doubt looking for me, and dropped the belt immediately to get back into the ring. He ripped the key away from the ref just Brock picked me up for an F-5. They gained up on me, kicking me, punching me, and everything else possible. Randy pushed them all off to the side and threw me over his shoulder, carrying me out and away from the danger. Setting me down, he took the key and quickly locked the others back in. He smiled and I raised his arm in the air, backing up the ramp, closing the show.  
  
************  
  
After the PPV, I got a ride to the next town for RAW with Shannon, Matt, and Amy. It was just like old times, only without Jeff, which upset me greatly, but I would certainly have to get over it. We were in Las Vegas, even though it seemed as if we were just there. I walked into my hotel with the others and was shocked to see Jeff standing by the elevators waiting for me. I ran into his arms happily, throwing my bags on the floor as I ran.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked after sharing a passionate kiss.  
  
"Thought I'd surprise you. I missed you," he smiled at me.  
  
"I missed you too. I'm so glad you're here baby," I said as he walked with me to grab my bags and get my room key.  
  
"Happy that tonite is your return to RAW?" he asked as we walked into the room together.  
  
"Oh hell yeah. Did you see the pay per view last nite?"  
  
"Yeah, you did great. And the crowd seemed really excited to have you back."  
  
"I know, it felt great too."  
  
"Casey, I came here for a real reason. I really think we need to talk." He pulled me to the bed with him and we sat down facing each other. My face had contoured into a worried look as he held my hands in his.  
  
"Jeff, just come out with it. Are you breaking up with me?" I asked.  
  
"Oh God no. Case, that's the furthest thing from what I want to talk to you about," he laughed.  
  
"Then what is so important?"  
  
"I've been thinking a lot about our relationship. And I think we're ready to take the next step."  
  
"And that next step would be what?" I asked backing away slight from him.  
  
"Marriage," he smiled.  
  
"Marriage?!" I laughed. "Are you purposing to me?!"  
  
"Kinda," he said softly.  
  
"This is a joke right. We're like on America's Funniest Home Videos, right?" I said continuing to laugh.  
  
"No, it's nothing like that."  
  
"Oh man. Dude, are you seriously asking me to marry you?!"  
  
"Like I said, kinda."  
  
"How can you kinda be asking me to marry you?"  
  
"I want to marry you. But I don't want to wait a year. I want to do it as soon as possible. As soon as right now!"  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked in shock.  
  
"Casey, we're in the city of 50 million different 24 hour wedding chapels. I want to get married tonite, right now, right here," he smiled.  
  
"Jeff, I don't want to do that."  
  
"What?! Why?! Don't you love me?!"  
  
"This has nothing to do with loving you!"  
  
"If you loved me, you'd marry me!"  
  
"My ideal wedding does not take place in a crappy 20 dollar wedding chapel, Jeffrey!"  
  
"But we went through all the stress and pain of a real one already! Why would we want to go through it again?!"  
  
"Because I enjoyed every second I was planning the damn thing! That's why!"  
  
"Do you NOT remember the outcome of the last time we went through all that shit?!"  
  
"Of course I do, but it doesn't mean that we'd have to go through that again! Jeff, I refuse to marry you in a wedding chapel in Vegas. Case closed," I said sternly crossing my arms.  
  
"But you did it in my dream!"  
  
"Jeff, it was a dream. This is reality. I know you live in the ImagI-Nation, but sometimes you have to jump into reality with the rest of civilization."  
  
"So you're rejecting me? You won't marry me?" he asked shaking his head.  
  
"Baby, of course I want to marry you. And someday we can do that. But I just don't want to do it here. And I honestly don't think I'm ready to marry you yet. Maybe that was half the problem before. Maybe we were rushing into it. Maybe we needed to take a little more time before we got married."  
  
"No, the problem was Shane. You were still too hooked on him and the alcohol you two filled yourselves on didn't help any."  
  
"Please don't through that in my face. Just stop okay. We're over that, passed it!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whateva."  
  
"I have to get to the arena. We'll talk about this later," I growled as I grabbed my duffle bag and walked out the door.  
  
***************  
  
'Heaven sent, ya need more  
  
Hell's sure, I'm yours  
  
Everybody's gotta rock right outta here  
  
See the old faith, Feel the new faith  
  
Everybody's gotta rock right outta here  
  
See the old face, Know the real face  
  
Feel the real faith  
  
Fly high, Cut a dove in your brain  
  
Exhale with the taste of everyday'  
  
Chris was standing in the ring complaining about how the Undisputed Championship was ripped from his hands by some girl who was supposedly put on retirement by the man beast. I walked down the ring with a smile on my face and a microphone in my hands. I entered the ring and stood in front of Chris.  
  
"I'm sorry to come out here and interrupt your obviously important speech about crap. But I really need to get something through to you," I said.  
  
"And what's that, little girl?" he smirked.  
  
"Little girl am I?" I laughed. "Well, this little girl happened to kick your ass last nite and helped Randy Orton win the belt that was rightfully his. But not only did I kick your ass but I kicked Brock Lesners' and John Cena's. And all three of you out weigh me by at least 100 lbs, light weight."  
  
"Light weight? Did you just call me a light weight?!" Chris exclaimed in raged. "Why you ungrateful little..........."  
  
"Ah, Jericho, watch your language there ASSCLOWN!" I laughed.  
  
"Do you know who you're talking to?! I'm the king of the world, king of bling bling. You do not talk to me that way!"  
  
"I'll talk to you any way I please. Not only that, but I'm also demanding a match."  
  
"You versus me?!" I nodded causing him to laugh.  
  
"You won't be laughing when I jump off the turnbuckle doing a Halo's Twist on your chest and have you down for the 1, 2, 3," I said emphasizing the 1, 2, 3. We had a stare off before I dropped the mic and rolled out from under the ropes, walking back up the ramp.  
  
'Heaven sent, ya need more  
  
Hell's sure, I'm yours  
  
Everybody's gotta rock right outta here  
  
See the old faith, Feel the new faith'  
  
"You haven't lost it at all," Shane smiled at me as I stood next to him in the line in catering. I smiled at him as I took a sip of water.  
  
"Thanks," I replied. "I haven't seen Shannon tonite. Is she alright?"  
  
"I don't know. We got into a big fight last nite. She got in a huff and left for the next town for Smackdown. She left saying she doesn't want to see me for the rest of the week," he sighed.  
  
"Why? What happened?"  
  
"You don't want to know. Trust me," he said as we sat at a table together.  
  
"But you two are still getting married, right?"  
  
"I hope so. But if we get into fights like this, who can we be married?"  
  
"Just don't give up on your relationship. I have faith in you two."  
  
"Thanks, it really helps to hear stuff like that. Especailly from your best friend."  
  
***************  
  
A/N: Alright, so I just realized that I was an idiot and said that Trish was marrying Tim and not Chad.......brain blockage, obviously. Lol And the song I used for the new entrance music is by Soil (of course it is lol) and called "New Faith". And is anyone else addicted to Fefe Dobson's "Take Me Away"? Oh, and did anyone else hear that they have now banned the Hurri-Ho (hehehe inside joke from Louisville) aka Shane from using the Hurri-chokeslam? Well, they have. I guess they say he's too small to be using it. Anyone else hating how the WWE is like banning all these moves? So that's two taken away from Shane. Grrrr......... 


	18. Playboy Mansion

A/N: Well, this chapter was going to be longer. But I'm having major problems with Jessy. And I've completely lost her. And I don't even know how. What happened or anything like that. And now I'm talking to her husband about it, and I really don't want to cause none of the people that I need are online right now. So I sit here being attacked by people and crying hysterically about it. So I apologize for the shortness of this chapter.  
  
************  
  
"This was so much fun!" Shannon laughed as we sat on the bed in my hotel room. Our arms were tired from the massive amounts of bags we had been carrying for half the day, from the shopping spree we had just finished at the mall in LA. I shook my head as I yawned and laughed.  
  
"I think we've been to each store at least once," I smiled.  
  
"I know, but you can't say we didn't have a good time," she said.  
  
"No, I had an excellent time. Shane's not gonna be happy though," I replied thinking about all the bags she'd be brining back with her.  
  
"I really couldn't care less," she growled tightening her blonde ponytail.  
  
"Can I ask why you two are fighting?" I asked.  
  
"You don't wanna know," Shannon rolled her eyes.  
  
"That's what he told me last week, but I really do want to know. It's not because of me is it? Cause I really like you and I don't want to come between the two of you. I think you and I are pretty good friends and I'd personally like to keep it that way. So if I'm the reason then I'll back off. Seriously, I'll just leave him out of my life for awhile," I said.  
  
"No, it's not you. And I like you a lot too. I mean in the beginning when I heard you were coming back, I figured you may be a problem, but you're not. I think I've gotten pretty close with you and you mean a lot to Shane. I wouldn't have it any other way. But you're definitely not the problem," she assured me.  
  
"Then what is the problem? You two are a cute couple."  
  
"Alright, I'll tell you. Last month Shane got an invitation to go to the Playboy Mansion for the day. He told me about it and I told him I didn't want him going. He told me he didn't understand what the problem was and I told him that I didn't want him going and that was that. So two weekends ago, he went anyways. And that's what pissed me off," she sighed leaning back on my bed.  
  
"So you don't trust him? Because he would never cheat on you. Once he's in a relationship he's completely committed, no matter how big of a slut he truly is," I laughed.  
  
"No, it's not that I don't trust him. Cause I do. I don't trust them and I didn't want those half naked girls hanging all over him. I didn't want there to be any temptation," she replied.  
  
"Well, you should have gone with him. It's a lot of fun there. And all the girls are really nice. I mean, I had a wonderful time when I went."  
  
"Whoa, hold up. You went to the Playboy Mansion?!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Well, um, yeah. He got invited when we were dating. I believe the fall of our second year together. I was pretty upset about it too. I told him I wasn't too impressed about it. But told him to go if he wanted to. His face lit up and he said he'd love for me to go with him so I went. He was gonna take one of the guys, Maven I believe, but he took me. I hung out with the girls, swam, played volleyball, and just hung out. And what they say about the grotto is true. What happens in the grotto, stays in the grotto," I smiled coyly.  
  
"Why? What happened in the grotto?" she asked.  
  
"Sorry, can't say. But we all had an absolutely WONDERFUL time."  
  
"Yeah, okay, don't want to know," she smiled knowingly.  
  
"But seriously, you should have gone."  
  
"I wasn't asked to go."  
  
"He didn't ask you?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Not at all. He took Maven with him."  
  
"Oh, wow, sorry."  
  
"Nothing for you to be sorry about. But why would he ask you and not me?"  
  
"Well, maybe he thought you were jealous or something."  
  
"Well, no, I mean, I don't like the fact that girls are constantly hanging off of him, I kinda attach myself to him when I see it happening, but I know it comes with the job."  
  
"You're jealous," I laughed.  
  
"Alright, fine, I'm jealous, whatever. But still, he shouldn't have gone against my wishes like that. He didn't even tell me he went!"  
  
"Alright, I don't agree with the fact that he just up and left, but he had the right to go. He just didn't want you to get all up in a huff if one of the women started talking or flirting with him."  
  
"How come you were fine with it?"  
  
"Grotto."  
  
"Why do I have scary pictures in my head whenever you say that?"  
  
"Cause you've known me and Shane for too long?" I questioned.  
  
"That's gotta be it," she laughed. "I'm scared."  
  
"About?"  
  
"About Shane calling the whole wedding off. I mean I'm not sure I want to marry him right now. But I don't want him calling it off."  
  
"Ya know, don't do anything for awhile. If this fight keeps up like this, then do something. But hold off for awhile? Things could change."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I love him, but sometimes I think that I'm just not right for him. All his little quirks bother me now. They never used to, I used to find them cute, but now I want to kill him. I sometimes wonder if he's not with the wrong girl."  
  
"Who should he be with then?"  
  
"You."  
  
"ME?! Why?"  
  
"Because you don't mind his little quirks."  
  
"His little quirks?"  
  
"Yeah, like how excited he is over a new comic book issue, or how he's attached to his lap top, or how he chews his food."  
  
"Yeah, um, none of that bothered me," I laughed.  
  
"I hate his belly button ring, I hate his hair cut, I hate that he's constantly watching moves. I don't like to go out and party like he does. I'm just not like that anymore."  
  
"Wow, um, okay," I said biting on my lip as I took my Simba into my arms.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked me as my cell phone rang. I paused when I saw who it was calling, but answered.  
  
"Hey Sugar," I smiled.  
  
'Shane?' she mouthed. I nodded as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey Angel. Are you back from shopping yet?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, have been for a bit."  
  
"Did you and Shannon have a good time?"  
  
"Do you wanna talk ta her?" I asked.  
  
"Whoa, could you repeat that sentence?" he laughed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's been forever since I heard that New York accent. I've been wondering where it ran off to," he replied.  
  
"No where's honey. Just masked over by this gosh darn southern accent," I smiled throwing out the worst hillbilly accent imaginable. He laughed before letting out a deep sigh. "So, um, do you wanna talk to Shannon?"  
  
"No, that's alright."  
  
"Then why'd you call?"  
  
"I dunno."  
  
"Shane, you sound like a 14 year old little boy. Now stop digging your foot in dirt and tell me what's up."  
  
"Just wondering what Shannon said about me," he replied softly.  
  
"Oh, nothing about you was said. Well, except how you're lacking on size. But that's about it," I smiled.  
  
"WHAT?!" he screamed. Shannon started laughing and I tried my hardest to hold it in. "You're such a bitch."  
  
"Muchas Gracias!" I laughed. "Really though, nothing much was said. Although I'm curious about this whole Playboy Mansion thing."  
  
"Well, you'll just have to keep bein curious cause I'm not sayin a word when I know she's probably sitting there trying her damnedest to listen in."  
  
"Fine, then I don't want to talk to you anymore," I pouted.  
  
"Even over the phone I can see that look on your face. So stop it!"  
  
"Well, whatever. I'll see you late tonite on the plane," I sighed.  
  
"Alright, lata sweetie."  
  
"Bye Shane."  
  
"So?"  
  
"He didn't say anything," I said. She flopped back down on my bed and sighed.  
  
"I'm just afraid it's over and I really do love him."  
  
"It's not over. Trust me," I smiled laying down next to her before I flipped the tv on.  
  
***************  
  
"Okay, so now that we're no where's near Shannon, would you please explain your side to this whole Playboy deal?" I asked leaning over the table in catering as Shane ate.  
  
"Case, I'm eating here!" he said.  
  
"And I'm talking. What's your point?" I smiled.  
  
"Alright, so what do you know and want to know?" he asked leaning back in his seat, crossing his arms.  
  
"First off, did you cheat on her?"  
  
"Hell no! You know me better than that."  
  
"Alright, second, why didn't you ask her to go with you?"  
  
"Because she wouldn't have been comfortable with all the girls being around me."  
  
"But you asked me the last time you went."  
  
"I did that because I knew you would love to just hang out with everyone. You weren't jealous with like my fans hanging on me or anything like that. She has a tendency to be over protective and will latch onto me."  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
"So that's why I didn't ask her. Anything else?"  
  
"Yeah, why'd you go when she specifically asked you not to and you knew how it made her feel?"  
  
"I made a promise to Maven. And she doesn't own me. Why should I worry about what she wants and not do what I want?"  
  
"Because in a relationship you have to make sacrifices. Maven would have understood."  
  
"Well, maybe I wanted to go. Maybe I considered it my one last hurrah before I got married!"  
  
"So then you still want to marry her?"  
  
"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?"  
  
"I dunno, we discussed it last nite and kinda had a bad feeling about everything."  
  
"Well, does she still want to marry me?"  
  
"Yeah, she does."  
  
"Well, I'm glad," he nodded at himself. He looked up at me and sighed. "You gotta believe me Case, I love her."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but exactly how much do you love her?" I questioned. He just looked at me and shrugged his shoulders before grabbing his half empty plate and leaving the room. I shook my head at him and left as well. 


	19. Death

A/N: I want to thank those of you who were concerned about Jessy and I. I explained what was goin on to her and we're all good now. We realized that most of the problems pointed to Matt. He's a massive asshole and I'm glad he didn't want me. lol And I'm excited to say I'm goin to the gym now. So I have a month's membership to Gold's Gym now. And Amy and I will be doing that. So we're both happy bout that. A little story about the gym. Amy and I were next to each other on tread mills, walking at the time. Well, she went to point something out to me and just stopped on the thing. Didn't hit the stop belt button or anything. Just stopped dead on the thing. Her leg just slipped right out from under her, causing her to almost do a complete split (in which she's never done one before in her life). I had to jump off the tread mill because I was laughing so hard. She some how pulled herself back up and hit the stop button. We stood there LAUGHING hysterically at it. I don't even think she pointed out whatever she was trying to point out to me. I'm also sitting here patiently waiting for an acceptance letter to JCC, the community college in Louisville. And if ya'll think these chapters are getting up slow, just wait till I start school. Cause I have to keep a 2.0 or better, so I'll be working my ass off with that. Plus I'll have to get a job so I can save up for wrestling lessons and an apartment. And I'll hopefully be able to start learning to wrestle. So I'll be one busy bee January through May. I think that's about it. And to those who think Shane and Casey are getting back together, HAHA!!! Lol How can they when he's getting married? Or is he? Think bout that one! Lol I thought long and hard about putting a few chapters before this one, but every chapter that I've done, I've hated. So I'm getting right to the point. So this story will be shorter than the others, I'm sad to say. But that's all I had to say. OH! The lyrics I used in the beginning are from Simple Plan, "Perfect" cause I love that song and only the chorus fits. But I'm not a big fan of theirs. Just like some of their songs, like 2 of them. lol OH OH!!! Also, on December 2nd, I'll be goin to see Staind, Chevelle, and Sevendust!!! I'm so fuckin psyched for that!! AND BEGIN!  
  
***************  
  
"Well, all I have to say to you is," I cleared my throat and began to sing a few lyrics. "Cause we've lost it all. Nothing lasts forever. I'm sorry I can't be perfect. Now it's just too late and we can't go back. I'm sorry I can't be perfect."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," his reply was quick and sharp. My eyes welled up with tears as I had the urge to throw something at him, but was unable to move. "Oh don't cry. All you fuckin do is cry. GROW UP!"  
  
"Fuck you Jeffrey. I hope you have a wonderful life!" I exclaimed throwing my copy of the house key at him before running out the door.  
  
"Oh, let me guess. You're going to run off to one of your WONDERFUL boyfriends! Well, fine, go! Runaway! Cause God only knows that's what you do best!" he yelled after me.  
  
"It was a KISS!! And he kissed me!" I screamed stopping dead in my tracks. "Ya know, for someone who was a great boyfriend, you sure as fuck suck as a HUSBAND!"  
  
"By the rumors I've heard, the only one sucking around here is you," he shot at me with a smile. I couldn't even look at him. I just turned back around and quickly got in my car, speeding down the driveway.  
  
"Good GOD!" I exclaimed sitting up in my bed. I took a deep breath and smoothed back my hair. "That's it, I'm never sleeping again!"  
  
"Why's that?" a male voice yawned next to me. My eyes opened wide as I slowly turned my head to look at where the voice came from. Lying next to me was John Hennigan. I looked down and realized we both had no clothes on. I looked forward and screamed.  
  
Sitting straight up in my hotel bed, I quickly looked around me. Making sure I was alone, and sure enough I was. "A dream within a dream. That's a new one Case." I shook my head as I climbed out of bed and moved towards the bathroom. The nite before had been a dozy. Randy and I had a match against Chris Jericho and John Hennigan. But not only that, John had dropped my on my head during a badly messed up scoop suplex. It knocked me loopy and apparently was causing me to have strange dreams. Either that or my subconscious was screwing with me. I flopped down across the bed and grabbed my phone, calling Jeff.  
  
"Hey baby," he said softly.  
  
"How'd you know it was me?" I asked.  
  
"Just a feeling," he replied.  
  
"Well, wouldn't you be feeling stupid right about now if I had turned out to be Matt," I laughed.  
  
"That's a horrible thought."  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
"How you doin?"  
  
"Better now that I'm talking to you," I smiled.  
  
"And why's that?"  
  
"Cause I think I had one of the weirdest and worst dreams possible!"  
  
"Well, tell!"  
  
"Yeah, um, let me think about that. NO!"  
  
"Can't be that bad."  
  
"Trust me, it was."  
  
"Well, it was only a dream."  
  
"Thank God for that!" I exclaimed. "God I wish you were here."  
  
"I know, I wish I was there too. But there are more important things right now than us being there."  
  
"Like what? Is it Liger?"  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
"Oh no. What'd the vet say?"  
  
"Well, there's nothing they can do for him, that he hasn't got much longer to live, and that he's not suffering. So I think it's best that he be here for his last days."  
  
"I'm so sorry Jeff. I wish I could be there with you."  
  
"Me too. It'd make things a hell of a lot easier on me."  
  
"So, do we have any idea of when he may, ya know?"  
  
"They just said it could be in 2 hours, tomorrow, or next week. But they don't think he'll last longer than a month." Jeff's voice shook. He was sincerely upset and I couldn't blame him. He'd had Liger for quite sometime and had hoped that he'd out live the dog. But the time had come for him to pass on, and Jeff wasn't taking it too well. And to be honest, neither was I. "Oh baby, don't cry. Cause if you cry, I'll cry."  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just he's always been there, ya know?" I sobbed quietly.  
  
"I know. Think about how I feel," he chuckled lightly and sighed. "I picked up your car today. It runs perfectly."  
  
"I'm glad. I'm gonna miss my baby though," I smiled.  
  
"I won't. I put too much effort into that damn thing, just to make sure it didn't break down on you."  
  
"Well, considering it DID, I would guess you didn't do a very good job of that!" I laughed.  
  
"Yeah, but you fixed it back up just fine."  
  
"Maybe so, but I missed my flight that day."  
  
"Casey, I can't wait till you see your mustang. This car is off the charts!" I heard Shannon yell in the background.  
  
"He's not driving my car is he?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Um, no," Jeff replied softly.  
  
"Jeffrey," I growled. "Don't let that boy drive my car!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am," Jeff laughed. "Well, I'll go drag him off your car. I love you."  
  
"I love you too. And kiss Liger for me, okay?" I asked.  
  
"Anything for you babe."  
  
I quickly took a shower and packed up my gear for the show that nite. I met Adam, Matt, and Shane in the lobby and we all left together, getting there and being swamped by fans. We stopped to sign as many autographs as we possibly could and ran into the arena.  
  
"Hey, Case, how's your head?" John asked as I entered catering. He smiled, showing off his white teeth. His sideburns were starting to grow back, possibly thicker than before. I smiled at him, but it faded fast when I remembered the dream I had that morning. I turned and walked away as quickly as I could.  
  
"What'd you do to Case?" Matt Cappotelli asked as he grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler.  
  
"All I did was talk to her!" John exclaimed.  
  
"Well, that explains EVERYTHING!" Jonah laughed as he walked by his Tough Enough friends. Matt laughed as well and left John glaring at the two.  
  
"Shane, can I tell you about a dream I had this morning?" I asked sitting across from him.  
  
"Well, I don't see why not," he laughed.  
  
"I dreamt that Jeff and I were married and got in an awful fight and I left him. So then I wake up and say that I'm never sleeping again and this voice next to me asks why. So I look next to me and there was Hennigan completely naked! And then I look at myself and saw that so was I! Then I wake up. How fucked is that?" I explained. He looked at me, looking as if he was trying to fight back his laughter. Then, as if hit in the back by something, he burst. "Oh yes, cause this was SO completely funny!"  
  
"Sorry," Shane replied trying to contain himself. He cleared his throat and smiled at me. "It's not that messed up. It's probably because he dropped you on your head!" he burst out laughing once again. I rolled my eyes at him as I leaned back and crossed my arms.  
  
"You done?" I asked as his laughter started to slow.  
  
"Yeah, sorry. I'm done," he said taking deep breaths. "That dream meant nothing. It was what it is, a dream."  
  
"Well, I bet I made him feel like an idiot."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cause I just walked away when he asked me if I was alright," I replied. I stood and walked out of catering to get ready for the show.  
  
**************  
  
"How's he doin?" I asked as I ran into the house, throwing my bags in the hall.  
  
"He's not responding," Jeff replied staring at Liger, who was just lying on the floor, his breathing very shallow. I dropped to my knees, next to Jeff, and took his hand in mine.  
  
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, tears dropping to the floor.  
  
"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. You didn't cause him to die," he replied.  
  
"I know, but I don't know what else to say." Just as Jeff reached out to pet Liger's head, his chest rose and fell for the last time. Jeff took his hand away and rested his head in my lap, as I combed through his hair with my hand.  
  
Later that day, when Jeff felt better, we buried Liger by the lake, and painted a tribute to Liger on our bench. "There's never gonna be another dog like him," Jeff said staring down at the grave.  
  
"No, there won't be. He was definitely one of a kind," I smiled wrapping my arms around his waist. We said our last words to him and let him in peace.  
  
***************  
  
"We are family," we all sang as everyone crowded the dance floor in the banquet hall. Trish smiled brightly as she and I danced with each other. Chad was off with his brother, no doubt making drinks, despite our pleas to dance with the rest of us. The newly wed couple had just gotten married. Trish was a beautiful bride and Chad was absolutely handsome in his tux. Shane and Shannon sat next to each other at one of the guest tables, but didn't speak to one another, still fighting over the whole Playboy Mansion fiasco. Trish and I held hands, laughing as we walked towards the bar. Chad wrapped his arm around his new wife, kissing her cheek.  
  
"Ya know, I never thought I'd get married before you," Trish smiled after sipping some of Chad's mint on rocks.  
  
"Really?" I laughed ordering a Skky Blue for myself.  
  
"Yeah, I always thought it'd be you, Nora, and then myself," she explained.  
  
"You thought Nora would get married first?!"  
  
"Yeah, well, her and Chris are still together."  
  
"I know, can you imagine marrying the first guy you ever had sex with?"  
  
"God no! I don't even remember who I first slept with!" she laughed.  
  
"Yeah, um, honey, I really don't need to hear about this," Chad chuckled as he and his brother walked away.  
  
"Too bad Jeff couldn't have come," Trish said as we walked to the head table.  
  
"I know, me too. But he couldn't cancel the autograph session. The proceeds go to charity."  
  
"Yeah, that's why I'm not upset about it. Good for him to do something good for others," she smiled. "Ya know, I really hate to see Shane and Shannon like that. They're really a great couple when they're not fighting."  
  
"I know, I've tried everything I can think of to stop the fighting, but it's all made everything worse. So I've decided to back off."  
  
"You can only fix so much."  
  
"So I see!" I laughed.  
  
"Do you think they'll still get married?"  
  
"If they can get over this whole fight deal, yeah."  
  
"What do you think will happen if she can't get over it?"  
  
"Personally, I don't think she's totally to blame. He has a big part in this as well. I think he brought this all on himself."  
  
"Sounds like Shane," she laughed. "Have I thanked you yet for being in the wedding?"  
  
"Yeah, a couple million times," I said.  
  
"Well, thanks again. It really means a lot to me."  
  
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world!"  
  
"So, now onto your wedding!"  
  
"Yeah, um, how bout not!"  
  
"Oh come on, you and Jeff must be talking about it."  
  
"Well, he did ask me to marry him the nite I returned to RAW."  
  
"Why the hell didn't you tell me?! And when the hell is the wedding?!"  
  
"Because I didn't tell anyone. He wanted me to marry him at one of those 24 hour wedding chapels in Vegas."  
  
"So you guys did it?!"  
  
"No," I laughed. "No, Trish, we're not married and not getting married."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I didn't want to marry him in a stupid little 25 dollar wedding chapel."  
  
"Well, that's understandable. No other talk about it?"  
  
"I'm not ready to do it yet. And I don't think he is either, to tell you the truth."  
  
"Well, I'm sorry."  
  
"Why are you sorry?"  
  
"Because you two are like soul mates."  
  
"Like you and Chad?" I asked watching him limbo under two of his ushers' arms.  
  
"Okay, um, no?" she laughed. "Seriously though, you found your prince. Tag him before someone else does."  
  
She stood and rubbed my shoulder as she walked over to pull her husband off the floor. My eyes wandered over to Shane and I smiled, just as he looked at me. He returned the smile, nodding slightly at me. 


	20. Careless Whispers

A/N: The song I used in this chapter is "Careless Whispers" by Wham. Ya'll are probably thinking, who in bluest of blue hell is Wham?! Lol Well, Wham is one of those 80's bands that I grew up listening to. George Michaels' band before he went solo and became a freak. Lol Betcha won't hear many people admitting that they listened to Wham! Lol Here's a biggy of a chapter. Enjoy! Oh, it's done in two parts. Shane's POV and Casey's POV. And the next chapter will be like that as well. I think that's it.  
  
***********  
  
~Casey's POV~  
  
'Time can never mend the careless whispers, of a good friend  
  
To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind'  
  
I woke up that morning and just knew that things were wrong. I had a bad feeling about it all. The sky was cloudy and everything looked dreary and dark. I walked around cautiously, not really going out of the house. I was almost fearing that THEY would show up again. Now I almost wished they had. I was sitting on the couch, Mountain Dew on the coffee table and a pad of paper in my lap, where I was drawing up designs for new wrestling outfits. Jeff walked into the house, from being gone all day. He was soaked from the rain, a pale look on his face.  
  
'There's no comfort in the truth  
  
Pain is all you'll find'  
  
"Jeff, what's the matter?" I asked worried.  
  
"We need to talk," he replied pulling the desk chair in front of me.  
  
"Oh, why don't I like the sound of this?" I asked glancing out the window as the rain poured down and lightening struck.  
  
"Casey, you know how much I love you, right?" he questioned.  
  
"I think so. But I have a feeling that after this conversation I won't," I replied.  
  
'Should've known better'  
  
"Baby, I love you so much, and I always will. You're a big part of me. If I didn't love you this much I wouldn't have worked so hard at making this relationship work."  
  
"Well, I've tried hard too! What's the point to all this?!"  
  
'I feel so unsure  
  
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor'  
  
"After all the time we've spent on this relationship, I realized that I can't do this anymore."  
  
"Jeff, I don't know what you've heard, but I swear I haven't done anything! I wouldn't do that again! I learned from my mistake the first time!" I panicked.  
  
"No, it's not that. I haven't heard that you've done anything. I trust you, I really do."  
  
"Then why do I get the feeling you're breakin up with me?!" I cried.  
  
'As the music dies, something in your eyes  
  
Calls to mind the silver screen  
  
And all its sad good-byes'  
  
"Because, I, well, I am."  
  
"Why? What have I done to make you do this?!"  
  
"You haven't done anything. It's a decision I decided to make to no fault of yours."  
  
"But you said you dreamt we got married! You said we were happy together! How can you do this?!"  
  
"You yourself said that it was just a dream and I need to come back to reality with everyone else. Well, I have."  
  
"And what has reality shown you?"  
  
'I'm never gonna dance again  
  
Guilty feet have got no rhythm  
  
Though it's easy to pretend  
  
I know you're not a fool'  
  
"That we make better friends than we do a couple. Case, we have like no communication anymore. When we were friends, a day didn't go by when we didn't speak. Where we didn't share our feelings with one another. But now, we barely share what's really on our minds."  
  
"So that's it? You're breaking up with me because you don't think we communicate anymore?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose that's one reason."  
  
'Should've known better than to cheat a friend  
  
And waste the chance that I've been given'  
  
"What else?"  
  
"I don't love you like I used to. I love you like I did when we first met. Before I started to become attracted to you."  
  
"So you DON'T love me!" I screamed as I stood up. I ran up the stairs and into our room where I started to pack up some things.  
  
"Casey, there's more," he said standing in the doorway watching me. I turned to him with my hands on my hips and glared at him. "I went to lunch with Beth last week. And it was like how we used to be. Before Lee came into our lives. I still love her so much. And I think it just has overpowered the love I have for you."  
  
'So I'm never gonna dance again  
  
The way I danced with you'  
  
"Beth? Okay, well, fine, whatever. You want her, you can have her!" I said as I continued to pack.  
  
"Don't leave. I want to be friends. I don't want you out of my life completely."  
  
"Well, right now I can't even look at you!"  
  
"Where are gonna go?"  
  
"I'm going to get a hotel room in Raleigh and find an apartment tomorrow. I'll be completely out of here in about 2 days. All that I ask is that you take care of Luna till I find an apartment," I said zipping up the suitcase.  
  
"Please don't leave like this."  
  
"How am I supposed to leave? All happy that you've found someone else?!"  
  
"No, of course not. Just please, let's sit down and talk about this."  
  
"Ya know what? I'm finished talking. You want to break up, then we are. Bye Jeff," I cried slamming the door in his face. I ran in the rain to my car and sped off into the nite.  
  
'Time can never mend  
  
The careless whispers of a good friend'  
  
I couldn't believe Jeff had just broken up with me. I couldn't believe I was moving out of his house. And that's when I realized, it was HIS house. Not our house. I didn't belong there anymore, I guess I had overstayed my welcome.  
  
'To the heart and mind  
  
Ignorance is kind  
  
There's no comfort in the truth  
  
Pain is all you'll find'  
  
I leaned on the window sill of the hotel room, watching the rain pound on the thick glass. I wondered how long Jeff had felt like this. I wondered why Jeff would go see Beth to begin with. But in the end I decided that it all had to be my fault in some way. If I hadn't slept with Shane before the wedding, Jeff and I would be well into having children together and be madly in love. It would have been the storybook life I had always wanted. But I had screwed it all up.  
  
'I'm never gonna dance again  
  
Guilty feet have got no rhythm  
  
Though it's easy to pretend  
  
I know you're not a fool'  
  
*********  
  
~Shane's POV~  
  
As the rain fell, faster and faster, I knew I was driving home to a place I didn't want to be. Shannon and I had a fight that morning, like normal, and I just had to get out of there. I didn't go anyplace in particular, just left. Although I was probably an idiot to do so.  
  
'Should've known better than to cheat a friend  
  
And waste this chance that I've been given'  
  
I pulled into the driveway and smiled, seeing that the lights were on and she was home. I was happy that she hadn't packed up and left. That meant that we could still work out our problems and be together. That was my hopeful side of course. In the back of my mind, I suppose I knew it wouldn't be like that. But what did I really have to lose, yeah, I know, I could lose her.  
  
'So I'm never gonna dance again  
  
The way I danced with you'  
  
I walked into the silent house and looked around, a box here and there, knick knacks missing from the shelves. My nitemare was coming true. I just hoped it wasn't too late for me to talk her out of it.  
  
'Never without your love'  
  
"Shannon!" I called to her, dropping my keys into my jacket pocket. "Shannon!" I called once again running up the stairs. I saw her knelt down on the floor in the bedroom, a cardboard box sitting next to her.  
  
'Tonight the music seems so loud  
  
I wish that we could lose this crowd  
  
Maybe it's better this way  
  
We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say'  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked, although I already knew her answer.  
  
"Packing," she replied and I could hear the tears and sadness in her voice.  
  
"Packing? But why?"  
  
"I can't stay here anymore Shane. I can't live this way anymore," she sobbed taping the top of the box shut.  
  
'We could have been so good together  
  
We could have lived this dance forever'  
  
"No, Shannon, don't leave!" I cried.  
  
"I have to. This fighting is killing me. We're just not meant to be together!" she stood and carried the box down the stairs, I followed her closely.  
  
"Yes we are! If we weren't, then I wouldn't have asked you to marry me!"  
  
'But no one's gonna dance with me  
  
Please stay'  
  
"It's not going to work out and you know it! I have to go Shane. There's no way I can marry you. There's no way I can be with you! All this drama is driving me insane! If I were to stay, God only knows what'd happen!"  
  
"We'd make up, we'd get married, we'd live happily ever after!"  
  
"No, we wouldn't. Because I can't let go what you did. You hurt me Shane. You hurt me SO much!"  
  
"It was one little trip! I'm sorry alright?! I've already apologized. What's it going to take for you to forgive me!"  
  
'And I'm never gonna dance again  
  
Guilty feet have got no rhythm  
  
Though it's easy to pretend  
  
I know you're not a fool'  
  
"That's not even what this is all about!" she screamed at me. "You just don't understand."  
  
"Then make me understand. I'm not letting you leave without an explanation!"  
  
"Well, you just don't have that kind of control over me."  
  
"Shannon, tell me what the hell is going on! You owe it to me!"  
  
"I owe it to you?! Well you owed it to me to stay away from the ring rats, but you didn't!"  
  
"Ring rats? What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"I saw that girl you were talking to after RAW. I know what she was!"  
  
"Oh my God! She was a fan! She wasn't a ring rat! All I did was sign her picture. I didn't do anything else. Hell, I didn't even hug her!"  
  
'Should've known better than to cheat a friend  
  
And waste the chance that I've been given'  
  
"Jesus Shannon, you have that little of trust in me?! You're just jealous that I don't and CAN'T spend all my time with you! I'm sorry that fans want to speak to m from time to time! What am I supposed to do?! Ignore them? I will not do that!" I yelled at her as I watched gather more or her things.  
  
"Well, fine, whatever. But I'm gone," she replied stopping to wipe her cheeks.  
  
"Fine, I'm done fighting with you. If you want to leave, then go."  
  
"Here." She handed me her engagement ring and the house key. She carried her last couple of boxes out of the house and left without another word.  
  
'So I'm never gonna dance again  
  
The way I danced with you'  
  
I knew this was the end of something I would never get back in my life. Truth was, I loved her with everything I had. I loved her more than I've ever loved anyone. And now she was out of my life because of her stupid jealous and because I could stay out of the mansion. That's what started this mess, and now I wished I could take it all back. The house would be empty, as well as my heart. For now a part of it was missing, along with her.  
  
'(Now that you're gone) Now that you're gone  
  
(Now that you're gone) What I did so wrong  
  
That you had to leave me alone' 


	21. Everytime

A/N: Alright, this chapter may seem a little confusing, cause I'm not going to put it into separate POVs. Casey and Shane's POV will be mixed together. Well, they'll have different paragraphs of course. And I'm gonna try to make it so you can tell the difference. But just a warning. The song I used is "Everytime" by (oh God help me) Britney Spears. I hate the girl. I seriously do, I just love the lyrics to this song. Yeah, so I'm like anit-Britney. Lol But anyways, here's the next chapter. And yes, it's extremely short. I think the next one will be A LOT longer. So that should make up for the shortness of this chapter.  
  
***********  
  
'Notice me  
  
Take my hand'  
  
I was almost totally moved into my new apartment. It was empty and lonely. For the first time EVER, I was on my own completely. Moving out of the Hardyz area was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But how could I live there knowing that Jeff had broken up with me, so he could have Beth back.  
  
'Why are we  
  
Strangers when'  
  
She had moved out. I couldn't believe it. Going to work with Shannon was going to be difficult. How could I look at her now? How am I going to walk down with her? She broke my heart. I thought I had finally gotten over the only girl who could do that to me, but I had thought wrong.  
  
'Our love is strong  
  
Why carry on without me?'  
  
Luna was checking out the two bedroom apartment, making sure it was up to her standards. I had left Misfit with Matt and Amy, cause one of them was always home so they could be with Nichole. It was just too difficult taking care of an animal on the road. "Oh God. I can't keep you here," I said aloud unzipping the protective cover that held my wedding dress. I looked into my full length mirror in my room, holding it up against me. Tears just ran down my cheeks, my heart was fully broken in two. The phone rang and I jumped. For some reason I expected Jeff to be on the other end, begging me to come back. But I guess I knew it wouldn't be.  
  
"How are you doing?" Amy asked as I set the dress down on the bed.  
  
"As well as could be expected, I suppose," I said wiping my cheeks.  
  
"What's the matter?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"I have my wedding dress. Ames, I can't keep it. There's no way. What am I going to do with it? Resell it?"  
  
"Oh you can't do that!" she sighed. "Look, why don't I keep it here?"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
'Everytime I try to fly  
  
I fall without my wings  
  
I feel so small  
  
I guess I need you baby'  
  
Oreo jumped in my lap, knowing I was upset. My house was once again empty and quiet. No little laughter, no giggling, no kisses. "Why Oreo?" I asked. "Why is it that every girl I love breaks my heart?" He rubbed my arm, almost comforting me. My cats were all I really had now.  
  
'And everytime I see you in my dreams  
  
I see your face, it's haunting me  
  
I guess I need you baby'  
  
Sleeping was a task I knew would be difficult. Sleeping in my own bed, my own home, all alone. There were no arms to hold me, only soft whimpers of a sleeping Luna. But what made things worse was that everytime I closed my eyes, I saw them together. Beth and Jeff kissing or hugging, or even worse, have sex. How could I sleep with those visions in my head? I couldn't sleep, not even slightly. I had to get up and move around. I walked into what I had designated my computer/art room and logged onto AOL, playing The Crow soundtrack as I did so.  
  
'I make believe  
  
That you are here'  
  
I was wondering the house late at nite. And I could almost hear Shannon calling me to come to bed. I grabbed my lap top and signed onto the internet. It was late at nite, so I figured no one would be on, but I saw her name pop up on my buddy list. I smiled slightly, though I didn't really want to speak to her. I didn't want to hurt anymore than I already did.  
  
'It's the only way  
  
I see clear'  
  
I went to IM Shannon, tell her about Jeff and I, but her away message was on and was a bit upsetting. 'I'm sorry I can't be here right now. I'm too busy wallowing my tears in a pint of Ben and Jerry's.' Ben and Jerry's was sounding good to me right about then, until the thought of it started to make me sick. My depression state was setting in. "Guess I won't be eating for awhile," I spoke almost gagging from the thought of food. I looked down my buddy list and saw Shane's screen name, GreenLantern74. I thought about IMing him, but I figured that if Shannon was upset about something, he'd be too busy tending to her. I put my own away message up and decided to work a bit on the website.  
  
'What have I done  
  
You seem to move on easy'  
  
"She's away wallowing her tears in Ben and Jerry's?! What the hell?! I'm the one she broke up with!" I yelled to no one. I wanted to be mad at her, but in the end, I couldn't be. I saw that SugarAngel, Casey was on, but she had an away message up. I wandered why she wasn't sleeping with Jeff, but figured she just wasn't tired. Until I read her away message. "How do you heal from a broken heart? Keeping yourself busy I suppose. Which is exactly what I'm doing," I read. Broken heart? What the hell was going on?!  
  
'And everytime I try to fly  
  
I fall without my wings  
  
I feel so small  
  
I guess I need you baby'  
  
Hours passed, and I could see the sun starting to rise. I couldn't believe I had stayed up all nite. But then again, I could. I was dead tired, but scared to sleep. Scared they'd show up not only when I closed my eyes, but in my sleep as well. How was I going to get passed this one? Especially when I was pretty much on my own. I didn't want to really involve Amy and Matt, because I didn't want to them to feel like they were stuck between us. So they only knew the basics, unless Jeff told them otherwise. Shane and Shannon were having their own problems so I didn't want to burden them. And Trish was healing from a massive concussion.  
  
'And everytime I see you in my dreams  
  
I see your face, you're haunting me  
  
I guess I need you baby'  
  
I had finally gotten to sleep around 6 in the morning. That had to have been the toughest nite since the break up. I don't even know why. Maybe things were finally setting into my thick skull. Maybe I was finally realizing that Shannon wasn't coming back. I had talked to Matt briefly and he had asked if I talked to Casey. When I told him no, he was extremely shocked. "Well, if she hasn't come to you, she must be sitting alone in her apartment hysterical. Cause she hasn't really talked to Amy and I either," he had said. He didn't explain anything really, so I was left wondering what he meant by 'in her apartment'. That kind of worried me. What if something bad happened between her and Jeff? I wanted to be there for her, but how could I if she didn't come to me.  
  
'I may have made it rain  
  
Please forgive me'  
  
"Jeff, I'm so sorry for whatever I did! I need you back! Please, you're my everything!" I cried leaving him a message on his machine. I tried later, but Beth had answered and I couldn't stand that. So I hung up instantly. This was all just too much for me to handle in too short of a time.  
  
'My weakness caused you pain  
  
And this song is my sorry'  
  
I held my head in my hands as I cried. I had hurt her so much by going to that damn party. I could control myself, I admit it. I did kiss one of the girls, but there was nothing else. Nothing further. She wouldn't ever find out about that either. I kept it in my pants and she has a fit. But I loved her so much. I admit it, I was weak. So weak. And I hated that women could make me weak like that and hurt her. I was so sorry and I couldn't even tell her how sorry I truly was.  
  
'At night I pray  
  
That soon your face  
  
Will fade away'  
  
I left the house after calling to make sure Gil was going to be able to take care of Luna for me. Driving to the airport by myself was difficult. I was going on my first flight, in a long time, by myself. Jeff wasn't going to see me off, Shannon, Amy, and Matt had left from Charlotte, and so it was just me. I assumed Shane was going at another time. So I didn't bother talking to him about it.  
  
'And everytime I try to fly  
  
I fall without my wings  
  
I feel so small  
  
I guess I need you baby'  
  
As I walked through the terminal, I hoped that Shannon wouldn't be on that flight with me. I hoped that she had found another flight to Edmonton. Or even better, not going period. I sat down, waiting for them to call my flight, not seeing anyone I knew. Fans came and went, asking me to sign something for them, and of course I did so. That's how I was. And then I saw Casey racing by to get to the gate, only to be stopped by the stewardess telling her that the flight was delayed a half hour. Casey sighed and started walking towards me. I smiled at her, even though I was sure she hadn't noticed me sitting there, lonely and by myself.  
  
'And everytime I see you in my dreams  
  
I see your face, you're haunting me  
  
I guess I need you baby'  
  
I was so relieved that I hadn't missed my flight. As I walked away from the gate, I saw Shane sitting there, by himself. But I just figured that Shannon was in the bathroom, until I only saw his bags. He flagged me down and stood in front of him, a small smile on my face. "Where's Shannon?" I asked, his face forming a sad frown.  
  
"There is no Shannon," he replied.  
  
"What do you mean? Is she not coming today?"  
  
"I honestly don't know."  
  
"How do you not know your fiancée's schedule?" I laughed lightly.  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it right now," he sighed. I nodded at him and sat across from him, silently waiting for the plane to arrive. 


	22. Everything

A/N: The song I used in this chapter is "Everything" by Lifehouse. Whoa...short A/N today! Haha Oh, and no, this is not the last chapter. So don't worry. There will be more! And this probably the most shocking chapter EVER!! Lol hehe  
  
************  
  
'Find me here  
  
and speak to me'  
  
My seat was just across the aisle from Shane's and despite our silence, I was happy to have him there. He was like my safety blanket. I knew I could always lean on him if I needed to. That's how I decided that I needed to tell him about Jeff and I.  
  
"Shane, can I talk to you?" I asked closing my Glamour magazine. He looked up from his Alias comic and smiled at me.  
  
'I want to feel you  
  
I need to hear you'  
  
"Of course. What's on your mind Angel?" he replied.  
  
"Wouldn't you say I tried everything in my power to make my relationship with Jeff work?" I questioned.  
  
"Of course! Hell, you quit your job and stopped speaking to your friends for him. I would say you went to the extreme on that one."  
  
"Then why would he break up with me?!" I began to cry. Shane's face fell as I leaned over the arm of the seat and sobbed. He unhooked his seatbelt and climbed over to me so he could sit in the empty seat next to me.  
  
'You are the light  
  
that's leading me'  
  
"Oh sweetie, I don't know. I can't answer that. Did you ask him?"  
  
"He just went into all this shit about not being able to work for our relationship anymore. And how we made better friends than a couple. What have I done to deserve this?!" I cried on his shoulder.  
  
"You haven't done anything! It's all him. You don't deserve that!"  
  
"That's not even the worst part of it all."  
  
"What is?"  
  
'To the place  
  
where I find peace again'  
  
"He and Beth are in love again."  
  
"Oh I'm so sorry. So how are you dealing?"  
  
'You are the strength  
  
that keeps me walking'  
  
"I'm talking to you....Shane, I'm so, God, I've never been so hurt. Now I know how you felt! I'm so sorry to have put you through all that pain."  
  
"Don't worry a thing about it. Everyone gets hurt at least once. But back to you. You're not living there, are you? Do you need someplace? Cause you could move back in with me."  
  
"No, I'm fine. I found an apartment in Raleigh," I replied. "So yeah, I'm on my own for the first time. I guess it had to happen sometime."  
  
'You are the hope  
  
that keeps me trusting'  
  
"And you'll make it. Like you make it through everything. You're loved and that's all that matters."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right, but it doesn't make it any easier to be without him. I thought I was going to marry him. I truly did. Where did I go wrong?"  
  
"Probably the same place I went wrong," he sighed.  
  
"What?"  
  
'You are the life  
  
to my soul'  
  
"Do I deserve to have my fiancée break up with me?" he questioned, tears glistening in his eyes.  
  
"Oh no. Shane, I'm so sorry. Here I am crying over losing Jeff when you lost your fiancée. I'm so stupid."  
  
"No, no you're not. Don't say that. You didn't know. And I really wasn't going to tell you. But I had to tell someone. I was about to explode."  
  
"Shane, you know I'm here for you. Whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be there."  
  
"I know. Thank you. What would I do without you?"  
  
'You are my purpose  
  
you're everything'  
  
"You'd be lost, just like I'd be lost without you," I smiled. "So what happened?"  
  
"I had to get out of that house. So I did. I left for the whole day pretty much and when I came back, she was packing up all her stuff. She was gone. I couldn't say anything or do anything to stop her from leaving. She said she couldn't take it anymore. I hurt her in the worst possible way. God do I regret ever going to the Playboy Mansion."  
  
"You really did love her, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure I loved her more than I loved you. Figure that one out!"  
  
"Lately, I'm sure that's not hard to do."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Loving someone more than me. If Jeff can do it, so can you."  
  
"Don't believe that. You're a great girl. Up until Shannon, I didn't think I would ever love anyone again. And now, I'm sure I won't."  
  
"Well, I love you."  
  
"I love you too," his smile was infectious and I laid my head on his shoulder for the rest of flight.  
  
***********  
  
'And how can I  
  
stand here with you'  
As I stood in line with Shane at the Subway, I felt like it was old times. I didn't have a boyfriend to worry about, all I needed to do was worry about me. I had been dating around for a month and felt free. Nothing serious had come out of any of it. Although, feelings I had for Randy, were slowly coming back.  
  
Shane was still feeling the affects of his breakup with Shannon, but then again, he did see her 5 days a week due to work. Vince was unwilling to make any changes and Shane just took it. I guess he was trying to look stronger than he was actually feeling. The only time I really saw him smile was when we were just messing around in the car on the way to arenas in different cities.  
  
'And not be moved by you  
  
would you tell me'  
  
"It's like nothing's changed between them," Trish whispered to Shan as they sat in the backseat of the car. Shane and I sat in the front singing away wildly to whatever was on the radio.  
  
"I know. Jeff's feeling really bad about what he did," Shan replied.  
  
"He should! He just broke her apart."  
  
"Personally I think she's better without him. He was just bein an ass about what she did to him. And yeah, maybe he did have a right to be cautious, but she was like a prisoner. Or at least she felt that way."  
  
"I think both of them really just need each other right now. I mean Shannon was just being jealous. They just need to take a break from being in a serious relationship, ya know?"  
  
"Yeah, well, rumor is around the locker room that Randy and Case are getting pretty close again."  
  
"John's probably not too impressed, huh?"  
  
"Actually, now that he's seeing that girl back in Massachusetts, he doesn't really care. He's actually kinda happy for them. But then again, he's just really close to Casey anyways, so why would he want to see her unhappy?" Shan said.  
  
'How could it be  
  
any better than this yeah'  
  
"Rob again?!" I exclaimed after seeing the sheet of matches for the nite.  
  
"What's the matter?" Randy asked walking up behind me.  
  
"I've got a hardcore match against Rob again for the belt," I sighed.  
  
"Sorry babe," Randy smiled.  
  
"Nick is really getting tired of me coming out of these matches with injuries. I keep telling him that I'm trying to cut down on them, but how can I with the crowd cheering me on like that?!"  
  
"Very true," Randy said. "Just be careful."  
  
"I always try, but I never actually succeed," I laughed walking away to get ready for the nite.  
  
'You calm the storms  
  
and you give me rest'  
  
"Hey, what's with the frown?" Shane asked passing me in the hall.  
  
"Just the match I have."  
  
"Rob again?" Shane laughed.  
  
"Yeah," I chuckled. "Who you got?"  
  
"I'm free tonite, if you can believe it," he said.  
  
"Wow, leaving for the next town?"  
  
"Nah, I'm waiting round for you, of course! Can't drive without my travel buddy!" he laughed. "Good luck sweetie."  
  
"Thanks," I smiled watching walk away. I shook my head and kept walking.  
  
****************  
  
'You hold me in your hands  
  
you won't let me fall'  
  
This was it, I had finally made a decision in my life. I had to take a chance, and hell, if it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, I would survive, right? Definitely. 4 months without anybody to really hold you can have an affect on you in strange ways. And despite the rumors bout Randy and I, there was nothing going on. So I stood there in front of Shane's hotel room door, contemplating if I was doing the right/smart thing, or if I had just drank too much soda and the caffeine and sugar was getting to me.  
  
"Come in!" I heard him yell to me.  
  
"You don't check to see if it's some weirdo?" I asked walking in.  
  
"No, but apparently I should if you're walking in here," he said crunching up his face.  
  
'You still my heart  
  
and you take my breath away'  
  
I looked at him, sitting on the bed with his laptop, in his boxers. I laughed and walked towards him. I bit on my lip and smiled.  
  
"So what's up?" he smiled pushing his computer to the side.  
  
'Would you take me in  
  
take me deeper now'  
  
"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.  
  
"Of course. Why is it that you always ask me if you can ask me a question? Why can't you just ASK me?" he laughed.  
  
"I like bein difficult," I said, a sarcastic smile on my face. "But anyways. You wanna get married?"  
  
"Well obviously!" he laughed.  
  
'And how can I  
  
stand here with you'  
  
"No, maybe I didn't say this right," I said. "You wanna get married to me?"  
  
"Well sure, why not?" he asked taking it as a joke.  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"Are you on crack?"  
  
"No, I'm completely sober, minus 4 liters of Cherry Coke."  
  
"Well, sure. So in 5 years, if both of us are unmarried and single, we'll get married to each other," he smiled.  
  
"No, I mean, right now, tonite, right here," I said.  
  
"What?" he asked. I got down on my knee in front of him.  
  
'And not be moved by you  
  
would you tell me'  
  
I took a deep breath and smiled as I pulled out my class ring. "Will you marry me?"  
  
'How could it be  
  
any better than this'  
  
He looked at me, shaking his head slightly. A smile graced his face and he said, "Yes." Shocked, my eyes grew wide. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.  
  
"You said yes?" I questioned.  
  
"Yes, I said yes. I love you Casey. And I know I won't find anyone who I love more. I want to marry you. So we'll plan a big to do wedding and get married," he smiled.  
  
"No, Shane, I don't want to wait. I don't want a big wedding. Not now anyways. I just want to marry you. I want to wake up with you every day. I want to be held by you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."  
  
'And how can I  
  
stand here with you'  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"I want to get Amy, or Shannon, or Trish, or WHOEVER and go down to the town hall which is opened for another hour, I checked, and get married," I explained.  
  
"Casey Lee Helms, you are insane!" he laughed.  
  
"Helms? Does that mean yes?!"  
  
"Well, DUH!" he laughed pulling me with him.  
  
"Um, Shane, pants maybe?" I asked just as he swung the door open.  
  
"Ah, yeah," he said grabbing whatever clothes he could.  
  
'And not be moved by you  
  
would you tell me  
  
how could it be  
  
any better than this'  
  
"I can't believe we're doing this," Shane smiled as we walked into Chicago's town hall.  
  
"I can't either, actually," I laughed.  
  
"Oh God! We made it!" Trish panted as she and Shannon ran up the steps behind us.  
  
"We thought we might miss this," Shannon said trying to catch his breath. "Anyways, here." Shannon handed Shane three velvet boxes with a smile. Before we entered the hall, Shane stopped me and opened one of the boxes.  
  
"Yeah, you may have asked me to marry you, but I feel that this is the right way to do things," Shane said dropping to his knee. "Casey, will you marry me?"  
  
"You know it baby!" I smiled as he slipped the ring on my finger.  
  
"Ya know, I almost expected you to say know. Must be out of habit," he laughed standing up. "Do you like the ring, cause we could get it changed later if you don't."  
  
'Cause you're all I want  
  
you're all I need  
  
you're everything  
  
everything'  
  
"Shane, it's perfect," I smiled. "Thank you."  
  
"No, thank you," he replied as we started filling out the papers needed.  
  
I held Shane's hand and examined our rings. They fit perfectly. Both platinum bands, plain, nothing special about them. And my engagement ring, a platinum band with a small tear shaped diamond. And he wore my class ring on his pinky finger, although I'm almost positive that, that was because he couldn't get it off his finger in the first place. But the point to all this was, that we truly did love each other. True, maybe he wasn't my soul mate, but they never said that once you found your soul mate, you would marry them. Shane was just everything I needed. 'you're all I want you're all I need you're everything everything you're all I want you're all I need you're everything everything and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you would you tell me how could it be any better than this and how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you would you tell me how could it be any better than this would you tell me how could it be any better than this' 


	23. Here's to Us

A/N: Okay, plug time!! Figures, right? Haven't done that in a long time! lol Well, Tuesday, Dec. 2nd, I went to a concert. And it was the last date of the tour. But anyways, it was Staind (the headliners), Sevendust, and Chevelle. Oh my freakin GOD!!! It was FRIGIN AWESOME!!! So if ya'll get a chance to see anyone of these bands live, GO. They just kick so much ass. Staind, though Arron Lewis is a very anti-spotlight type guy, just blew everyone away. And Sevendust, DAMN they're hard! Lol I knew they were on the harder side of things cause I've heard numerous songs by them, but live is just a WHOLE nother level of hard. And Chevelle, they opened, and they were just great. It's hard to believe that the whole band consists of only 3 brothers. Now me and my sister's boyfriend are just waiting to see if Limp Bizkit comes here. lol And before I go to Louisville. That's really all I had to say. On with the chapter. And no, no one was stopping the wedding, and it was not a dream. Lol I didn't even think that someone might think that. And the song is by Sevendust called "Suffocate".  
  
***********  
  
"What did you and Jeff do with all the wedding gifts you guys received?" Shannon asked me with a sigh as we got ready for the show.  
  
"Wedding gifts?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, ya know, the ones that you got before the wedding. What did you do with them when you didn't get married?"  
  
"We returned what we could. Why?"  
  
"Cause I have to do that with Shane and mine. Ya know, I'm starting to wonder if I hadn't made the wrong mistake by breaking up with him," she said. I dropped my boots on the bench and whipped my head around to look at her.  
  
"Y, you wouldn't date him again, right?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"I don't know. Why?" We looked at each other as I tried to hide my rings.  
  
"Um, no reason. Just wondering," I said grabbing my boots and walking over to where Trish was. She looked at him and chuckled lightly. "I can't do this anymore," I whispered. "I have to tell people. Especially Shannon. She has a right to know, right?!"  
  
"I dunno, I mean, the whole situation was kinda weird, ya know?" Trish replied. "I'd hold out just a bit longer. You've only been married a week."  
  
"Was I crazy to do what I did?"  
  
"No, I think it was sweet," she smiled.  
  
"Well, it's just so hard to not tell anyone that we're married. I mean, I can't even tell my dad. Adam doesn't know, Matt doesn't know, Amy doesn't know. You and Shan are the only ones. It's really hard," I sighed.  
  
"Just hold out. You'll be able to tell them soon. I'm sure of it," she patted my shoulder and headed out the door with the Women's belt over her shoulder. I shook my head and finished getting ready.  
  
I ran down the hall, to meet Shane at the men's locker room, pulling on my Mystic Angel t-shirt. Shane was waiting for me outside the door. I reached up and kissed, after making sure no one was around to see us. I readjusted my jeans, tightened my white star belt, and tightened my ponytail, just to look inconspicuous as Paul walked by. Shane and I waved to him and let a deep breath go when he was out of sight. Shane kissed me again and we started back down the hall.  
  
"Shane, I can't do this whole secretive marriage deal," I whispered to him.  
  
"I know, it's getting harder and harder to try and explain the rings to the guys. Especially Matt," he replied shaking his head.  
  
"And I think Shannon may start to try and get closer to you. God I hate lying to her. It's hard to even share a locker room with her. I feel like I'm committing some crime by being married to my friend's ex-fiancé, especially since it's only been like 4 months since the break up!"  
  
"Try walking out with her. That's just as bad!" he laughed.  
  
"Hi Shane," Shannon smiled as we met her at the gorilla.  
  
"Hey," he replied uncomfortably.  
  
"Um, you busy tonite? Like do you wanna go get a coffee with me and talk?" she asked.  
  
"Sorry, Case and I have plans to leave right after the show for home," he said quickly.  
  
"Oh, well, maybe some other time," she sighed.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," Shane said moving closer to me. I crossed my arms as I stood in the uncomfortable silence.  
  
"So, um, Shannon, you goin to Stephanie's baby shower this Saturday?" I asked.  
  
"I can't, my brother is getting....married," she answered almost unwillingly.  
  
"Oh, well, tell him congratulations," I smiled wishing for their music to go off so we could get this stupid match over with.  
  
"The following match is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, being accompanied to the ring by Shane Helms, from Wilkesboro, North Carolina.....BABY!" I watched on the monitor as the two of them put on their best smiles and walked out together, hand in hand. I smiled and shook my head before rolling my shoulders. The arena went dark. Blue and purple lights shined on the stage as smoke filled the area.  
  
'Hate all the blood on my hands  
  
And the sins that bleed from my soul  
  
Take it all away make it  
  
Go away'  
  
I stepped out on the stage with my Hardcore belt around my waist and the crowd popped mad for me.  
  
'Stand up for bein' the last one to control  
  
(But) what you can't see is bein' the last one to know'  
  
"And on her way to the ring, the WWE Hardcore Champion, from Cameron, North Carolina..MYSTIC ANGEL!"  
  
'Fade into a dream  
  
Try and save me from myself now  
  
Save me from myself now'  
  
"Well this is odd! Where's Angel's partner, Randy Orton? He should be out here with her, especially after how she helped him to retain the WWE Undisputed Championship belt this past Sunday against Triple H," JR said as bounced to the beat of the music.  
  
'Fallen from the world  
  
If I could ever breathe in the  
  
Air maybe then I wouldn't suffocate'  
  
I slowly walked down the ramp and slid into the ring. Jumping onto the posts, I saluted the audience. I ripped my t-shirt off, to the delight of the men, and threw it in the crowd. I handed off my belt to the ref and nodded slightly to Shannon. Shane slid out of the ring and the two of us stood in front of each other. She pushed me, but I stood my ground. I kinda laughed at her before kneeing her in the gut. She bent over and I ran behind her to bounce off the ropes, pulling off a beautiful bull dog. I rolled her on her back and covered her for a 2 count. I pulled her up by her long blonde hair and did a couple chops, forcing her into the corner. I kept laying on the chops and the ref split us apart. When he backed away, I walked towards her and she slapped me. I backed away, stunned a bit by the force of the slap, and she climbed up to the second turnbuckle. I shook off the slap and turned to face her, she jumped off and brought me down in a hurricanranna. She tried to pin me, but I immediately kicked out. I stood as quickly as I could and we locked up. I pulled her into head lock and she pushed me into the ropes. I came back at her and did a shoulder block. She fell to the mat and I tried for a second rope moonsault, but she moved so I landed on my feet. She tried to drop kick me, but I had moved out of the way, causing her to fall flat on her back. I grabbed her legs and tried to force her into a sharpshooter. She some how kicked me off her and sat up, but I was ready to do a drop kick into her chest. I tried for the sharpshooter once again, and finally got her over. Her hand hovered over the mat to tap out and right before she hit it, I was knocked in the back by something hard. I fell to the mat, grabbing at my back as I heard the bell ring.  
  
"And here's your winner by disqualification, MYSTIC ANGEL!" I heard my music as I laid on my side to look at my attacker. Randy stood there, holding the belt in his hands, a sly smile on his face. He walked over to the ropes and grabbed a microphone from one of the techs. He stood over me as I withered in pain.  
  
"Angel, Angel, Angel," he said keeping his smile. "You're so dumb! You didn't actually think that I'd keep you around after last Sunday nite, did you?! You did exactly what I was hoping you'd do. Help me keep my belt from the one person I needed to keep it from, TRIPLE H!"  
  
"What?" I asked through my pain.  
  
"That was one hell of a match! He almost had me there, I have to admit that, but when you interfered with that Singapore cane, I had the match won. Now that I have beaten the number one wrestler in the business, I don't need you. I can beat ANYONE now," he laughed. I struggled to my feet and stared at him.  
  
"ASSHOLE!" I spat. He just laughed at me and pushed me to the side, causing me to fall to the mat once again. He walked up the ramp, looking back at me as he walked. I was helped to the back by the refs when he was out of sight. Once there, I bent backwards and cracked my back. I stretched out my arms as I started walking down the hall towards the locker room. I was pulled into a closet roughly, by some unknown person. He put his hands all over my body, touching every part he could.  
  
"I love you," he breathed as he sucked on my neck. I laughed and pulled the chain to turn the light on.  
  
"Dude, I'm so sweaty!" I said as he backed away.  
  
"I don't care. Kinda turns me on, grr," he said with a smile as he wiggled his eyebrows.  
  
"Come on Mr. Helms. We'll get it on when we get home," I smiled.  
  
***************  
  
"Okay, so what are we going to do about moving in together? Cause I have a 6 month lease on this apartment," I said as Shane wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled into his body and took in his scent.  
  
"Well, we'll live here until the lease runs up, then you'll move into my house," he smiled.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Well yeah, why not?"  
  
"I dunno, I just figured you'd want to make that OUR home right away, I guess."  
  
"I do, but breaking a lease can cost a lot of money."  
  
"Ya know what? It doesn't really matter as long as we're together," I smiled.  
  
"Nope, it really doesn't," he sighed. "Ya know, maybe we should start telling people?"  
  
"Yeah, we should. How about Friday nite, at the house show?"  
  
"Sounds good. How do we handle telling Shannon?"  
  
"We don't?" I said hopefully.  
  
"Yeah, not gonna work babe," he laughed. "You're friends with her, you should tell her."  
  
"But you dated her."  
  
"We're not gonna resolve this one are we?"  
  
"Probably not, unless you give in."  
  
"You know me better than that."  
  
"Yeah, thought so," I laughed.  
  
"Case, I wanna start a family," Shane said.  
  
"A family?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, I'm not getting any younger here. I'd like to have kids before I'm 50."  
  
"I know Shane. I understand that," I replied.  
  
"I know that you probably don't want to start one right now, with having lost your baby. But I want to be able to play with them. I want to be able to hold them. I want to take care of them before they have to take care of me."  
  
"I know. I just, I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother," I replied.  
  
"I know. Forget about it."  
  
"No, I don't want to. You want kids and I want you to be happy," I sighed. "Look, how about we discuss this again in 2 months, when I move in with you. Because by then I'll have finished this prescription of my pill."  
  
"Do you mean it?"  
  
"Yeah, of course I do."  
  
"Thanks baby, this means a lot to me," he smiled.  
  
"Well, if it really meant a lot to you, then you'd do something for me," I smiled slyly.  
  
"Uh-oh. What?"  
  
"I want you to get a tattoo with me," I replied sweetly cuddling up closer to him.  
  
"Baby, if you get any more tattoos you'll look like your father!" he joked in response.  
  
"Shane, I'm serious," I pouted and he leaned down to kiss my lips.  
  
"Tattoo of what?" he sighed.  
  
"I wanna get Sugar tattooed on my hip," I said showing the exact spot where it would go. He grinned and rubbed his fingers over mine and lower stomach. "And you would get Angel tattooed on yours!"  
  
"Oh no I won't! Men don't get tattoos on their hips!" he protested.  
  
"But Shaney," I whined.  
  
"Oh don't give me that crap!" he laughed.  
  
"Pwease?"  
  
"Alright, I'll think about it." He shook his head and laughed.  
  
"What?" I asked with a smile, looking into his deep brown eyes.  
  
"I have to admit, I never thought I'd EVER marry a girl with weird colored hair, tattoos galore, and piercing," he replied.  
  
"And who did you think you'd marry?" I asked.  
  
"An exotic looking girl. Tall, slender, kicking body, dark hair, dark eyes, tan skin, a killer ass, long legs, amazing breasts," he smiled dreamingly.  
  
"Excuse me!" I exclaimed slapping his arm.  
  
"But marrying you was MUCH better. You may not be tall, or have dark hair, or have dark eyes, or long legs, but your body is definitely hot, your breasts are unbelievable, your ass makes me speechless, and your just perfect," he smiled kissing my forehead.  
  
"You'd better say all that," I growled.  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go get the pizza and movies. I'll be right back," he said sliding out from under my body. I sighed as I curled my legs up and flicked the tv on, just as Luna jumped up on the couch.  
  
"Oh Shane!" I called to him.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked just before he headed out the door.  
  
"NO PORN!"  
  
"Yes, Casey," he said shutting the door behind him. I laughed and shook my head, knowing that he'd come back with some type of porn in his hands.  
  
When Shane returned, I had just finished changing into a pair of flannel pj pants and a tank top. I heard Shane messing around in kitchen, but didn't pay much attention to him.  
  
"Case, you want soda or a Skky Blue?" he called to me.  
  
"Which ever! You pick!" I responded putting my glasses on after taking out my contacts. I walked into the living room and it was lit up by candles. On the coffee table sat two wine glasses, one filled with Skky blue and the other with what I assumed was some Shipyard beer flavor we had brought back with us from Maine 2 weeks before. Plates sat next to each other with the box of pizza sitting behind them. Shane stood by the couch with a bouquet of roses in his hands, 6 red, 3 white, and 3 pink. "Awe, Shane!"  
  
"Just a thank you for marrying me. I know it's not some romantic dinner out at some fancy restaurant, but I think it says what I wanted it to," he smiled as I walked towards him. He handed me the flowers and held my hand. "I love you."  
  
"Shane, this was really sweet. I love you too," I smiled reaching up to kiss him. He took the flowers from me and set them on the end table. I sat on the couch and waited for him to join me. "So, what'd you get for movies?"  
  
"Well, I know you said no porn, but I couldn't help myself," he answered pulling out the tape.  
  
"Dude, I knew you'd rent one," I laughed. "But I also know you rented something else."  
  
"Yep, so later tonite we'll watch this," he wiggled his eyebrows seductively before throwing the tape on the floor. "I thought we'd go old, old school tonite. So I got Harvey, Singing in the Rain, and Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte."  
  
"This is gonna be great," I smiled sipping my drink as Shane popped in a movie. He hit play on the VCR and settled on the couch next to me, placing a slice of pizza on both our plates. He held up his glass and motioned for me to do the same.  
  
"I wanna make a toast. Casey, I couldn't be a happier man. You have always known the right things to say or do. I don't know how, but you always manage to put a smile on my face. It's amazing to think that for years we've been together whether it be intimately or just on a friendship level. I love you so much and I know we have MANY more years to share together," he spoke. I put my hand up to his cheek and smiled at him. I mouthed 'I love you' and kissed his cheek. "So um, yeah, here's to us." We clinked our glasses together and began our movie night. 


	24. Surgery

A/N: Well, here I am watching The Wizard of Oz for like the 1 zillionth time. And I was just thinking bout who would fit good in the roles of some of the more major characters. So I was wondering who on the WWE roster or in this story period you could see as some of the characters. Here are the characters, let me know in the review! I think it'd be really cool to see the difference in thoughts. Dorothy, Glinda, Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, Mayor of Munchkin City, Lollipop Guild, Lullaby League, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, the Doorman, Wizard of Oz, Wicked Witch, and the one talking guard to the Witch. So let me know in the reviews! And the next chapter is going to be REALLY cool. I know ya'll are going to like it. It'll be rather long, so be prepared for that. That'll be up in like a week, because it'll take me awhile to write it and get it worked out. But I think ya'll will get a kick out of it. Here's the next chapter!  
  
****************  
  
"Amy, Matt, can we talk to you for a minute?" Shane asked as we stood by their table in catering. Amy smiled as she looked up at us from feeding Nichole.  
  
"Sure, have a seat," Matt replied. Shane and I took deep breaths and sat next to each other.  
  
"We have something rather shocking to tell you guys," I said.  
  
"Oh? Well, Case, pretty much anything you do isn't shocking to us anymore," Matt smirked.  
  
"Hardy har har, Matthew," I sarcastically replied.  
  
"Anyways," Amy laughed pulling her child into her lap.  
  
"On um, Monday, before Raw. Since Shane and I weren't needed until the next nite for Smackdown we were hanging around the hotel. I suppose I had a bit too much Cherry Coke to drink," I joked.  
  
"Oh no, you two didn't do it again!?" Amy exclaimed.  
  
"We're not done," Shane said. "Casey came into my room about 4:00 that afternoon. She asked me if I wanted to get married. When I said of course, she re-said what she said and added the words, will and me."  
  
"What?" Matt questioned scratching his head.  
  
"Shane and I got married Monday nite in the town hall in Chicago," I said cautiously.  
  
Matt and Amy burst out laughing as if we were joking. "Yeah right," Amy said.  
  
I rolled my eyes and held mine and Shane's hands out to them. Showing off our rings. "We're not kidding," Shane said.  
  
"Oh my God! Were you two on crack?!" Amy cried.  
  
"Shh, we're trying to tell people as we feel comfortable in telling them," I said trying to quiet them.  
  
"You two got married? How? Why? Where the hell were we?!" Matt said.  
  
"Yeah, we got married because we love each other. Shannon and Trish were our witnesses. And you two were home, I believe," Shane laughed.  
  
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Amy said standing up and carrying Nichole out of the room.  
  
"Is she really mad at me?" I asked.  
  
"I think just slightly," Matt sighed. "But look, she'll get over it. You two are too close."  
  
"I should have told you guys right away!"  
  
"No, it's your business. Congratulations. You guys are a great couple, always have been, and always will be," Matt smiled kissing my cheek and giving Shane a brotherly hug. "You take good care of this girl. She's my baby sister after all."  
  
"I wouldn't think to care of her any other way," Shane smiled wrapping his arm around my waist.  
  
"Matt, could you promise me not to tell Dad or, um," I shook my head trying to say his name that just seem to get stuck in my throat. "Don't tell Jeff."  
  
"Of course. Your secrete is safe with me," Matt gave me a wink and left to find Amy.  
  
"Well, the hard ones are taken care of," Shane said.  
  
"Oh yeah, right!" I laughed. "Adam will be bad and then there's Daddy and Sara. Sara will be better with it than Daddy will be!"  
  
"Well, there's Adam," Shane pointed towards the long haired blonde who sat with Jay, Chris, and Rob.  
  
"Kill 4 birds with one stone?" I joked. Shane laughed as we walked to their table.  
  
"Guys, we have something to share with you all," Shane started out.  
  
"And Adam, you can't get mad. Promise me you won't get mad," I demanded.  
  
"Casey, what'd you do?" Chris asked with a smile.  
  
"Shane and I got married in Chicago in the town hall and the only one's who knew about it were Trish and Shan cause they were our witnesses," I explained quickly. They all looked at us as if we were growing extra limbs. And then, as if being slapped in the back of the heads, they all burst out laughing. "You guys! This isn't a joke!"  
  
"You guys kill me!" Jay laughed holding onto the table to steady himself.  
  
"No, she's telling you all the truth!" Shane insisted holding my hand out to them. My rings glistened under the fluorescent lights of the room.  
  
"What the hell is goin on?!" Adam exclaimed as anger flashed in his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said softly.  
  
"Honey, don't be sorry. If you two are really in love then you have nothing to be sorry for!" Rob smiled rubbing my arm.  
  
"Congrats!" Chris rejoiced. Jay nodded in agreement.  
  
"Adam?" I questioned.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? I thought I was your brother!" he said.  
  
"You are. We wanted to keep it secrete till we felt comfortable because we didn't know how anyone would react. I can see that telling people has been a mistake. Thanks for the support big bro!" I snapped walking off with my arms crossed.  
  
"Adam, it took a lot of courage to tell you and everyone else. She was being brave and you and Amy have proven to be a couple of jerks. We're happy, why can't you be happy for us?" Shane asked following me. Adam slouched in his seat and sighed with an angry scowl on his face. "Baby, wait up!"  
  
"Shane, I'm gonna tell the girls in the locker room and you can tell who ever the hell you want. But after to day, we keep this quiet. Fuck everyone else. They can find out from whom ever we've told!" I stormed off to the locker room, practically slamming it after me.  
  
"Case, you alright?" Stacy asked me as I almost ripped open my duffle bag.  
  
"Look, I have something to tell you all. Is everyone in here," I asked looking around the room. I nodded as I saw almost all the girls there. Only a select few were missing, Stephanie and Dawn Marie.  
  
"What's up?" Nora asked with an innocent smile.  
  
"Shane and I got married Monday nite. I'm sorry that I didn't tell anyone. And I'm sorry that you all couldn't have been there. It was in the town hall so I only had Trish and Shan for witnesses. It was quick and easy and we're extremely happy together. And Amy, I'm sorry you feel that you have to be upset about this. But it's my life. I'm happy and if you can't be happy for me, than I guess you're not as good a friend to me as I thought you were," I said.  
  
"What?" Shannon asked sadly as she pushed passed some of the girls towards me.  
  
"Oh Shannon. I'm sorry you had to hear it like this," I said quietly.  
  
"You two are married? But you guys weren't even together!" she cried.  
  
"I know. We just, I asked, it just happened. Oh Shannon, I'm so very sorry."  
  
"You bitch," she spat at me. She grabbed her stuff and ran out the door.  
  
"Congratulations Casey!" all the other girls in there yelled. I smiled as I looked around at them all. They all seemed genuinely happy which made me happier about the situation. I looked over at Amy just as she stood and walked towards me.  
  
"I'm sorry Case. You're right, if I was a true friend, I would be happy for you. Marriage is a beautiful thing and you and Shane will last forever. You always seem to be able to anyways. I love you girl," Amy smiled hugging me tightly.  
  
"Thank you Amy. It really hurt to have you mad at me. But Adam's mad too," I shrugged.  
  
"Adam will get over it. Cause he loves you," Amy smiled. "Have you told Mark?"  
  
"Oh hell NO!" I laughed. "That one's going to have to be taken care of carefully. Cause otherwise he'll kill Shane. And I don't want to become a widow after only been married to him for a week."  
  
"Very true!" Amy laughed.  
  
***************  
  
'Fallen from the world  
  
If I could ever breathe in the  
  
Air maybe then I wouldn't suffocate'  
  
I stood in the ring, waiting for Randy to make his way down. It was supposed to be a squash match, where I would be winning due to DQ. It would only take about a minute to do. A little fighting here and there, but in the end he'd be using some weapon to end the match. We locked up and he easily pushed me down. I growled and stood up quickly. I pushed him as hard as I could and he stumbled a bit, but not enough to do any damage. He picked me up and slammed me into the mat. He left the ring and brought in a chair while the ref checked on me. Randy lifted the chair above his head and brought it down with much force. I took in a deep breath as the chair connected with my knee. I felt a sharp pain go through it as I curled up into the fetal position. Nick ran out to the ring and knelt down next to me.  
  
"Case, what's the matter?" he asked as I covered my head and tried my hardest to hold back my tears.  
  
"My knee," I chocked out. He straightened out my leg, though not without some protest from me. He shook his head and helped sit up.  
  
"Brian's gonna help you stand and walk you to the ropes. He'll help you lay back down and you'll slide into my arms where I'll carry you to the back, alright?" Nick asked. I nodded and was pulled up. My jaw clenched with pain as I tried to not use it to walk. Nick carried me to the back and started examining my knee. "The best diagnoses I can come up with, is that your knee cap was knocked out of place. And I almost think there's some fluid in there. I think you may need surgery."  
  
"Oh no, it can't be that bad!" I exclaimed.  
  
"I think and am pretty sure it is. If there's fluid in there, you need it cleaned out as soon as possible. Did you and Shane drive here?" he asked.  
  
"Of course. It's only Richmond," I winced as he prodded at my knee some more.  
  
"Alright, then when you leave, I'd say tomorrow go to the hospital and get it checked out. They may something different from what I say," Nick sighed as Shane walked in.  
  
"You okay?" he asked with a smile.  
  
"Yeah, fine. I just have to go to the hospital tomorrow," I shook my head as Nick wrapped my knee in a bandage.  
  
"But don't you have Stephanie's baby shower?"  
  
"Yeah, well, Steph is just gonna have to deal with it," I replied.  
  
"I think you should be good. It's gonna be painful to walk on, but possible. Just don't walk too much. Ice it every so often, straighten it out, don't leave it bent all the time," Nick instructed.  
  
"Thanks Nick. Once again you've fixed my ass," I smiled as Shane helped walk out. "Ya know, I'm starting to think this job can be dangerous." Shane laughed as we walked down the hall.  
  
"Good job out there sweetie. It's good to know that you can still injury yourself at the drop of a hat," Matt joked.  
  
"Listen buddy, it wasn't my fault, it was the chair's," I smiled.  
  
"Right," he laughed.  
  
"Oh, we have to show you our new tattoos!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Oh Lord no," Shane said shaking his head as I started to roll down my jeans a bit to show.  
  
"Sugar?" Matt questioned reading the black old English style writing.  
  
"Yeah, Shane's nickname," I smiled fixing my jeans.  
  
"Oh, as in Sugar Shane Helms?" Matt laughed.  
  
"Well, duh!" I rolled my eyes. "Shane, show him yours!"  
  
"Do I have to?" Shane whined.  
  
"Yeah, SUGAR, let me see yours," Matt mocked. Shane sneered at him as he rolled his jeans down. "You have ANGEL tattooed on your HIP?!" Matt went crazy with his laughter.  
  
"Shut up," Shane growled pulling his pants back up. Matt walked away, throwing his head back, laughing.  
  
"You don't like it, do you?" I asked with a pout.  
  
"No, baby, I do. It's just something I'd like to keep between you and me," Shane said lifting my chin up with his hand. He leaned down and kissed me deeply.  
  
"But I was hoping it'd be something that proves to everyone how much we love each other," I said.  
  
"Everyone knows that baby, really. We didn't need tattoos for that," Shane said.  
  
"I just thought it'd be a special thing only we have," I sighed.  
  
"It is. And I think we should keep it to ourselves. Make it more special that way," Shane smiled. I nodded at him before we set off for the locker rooms.  
  
****************  
  
"I can't believe I have to have surgery Tuesday!" I exclaimed hobbling through the apartment on my crutches.  
  
"Does Vince know?" Shane asked.  
  
"Yeah, I called Shane and he said he'd pass the message along. All I have to do is show up on RAW Monday so they can write me out of storylines for a bit," I replied sitting on the couch.  
  
"This sucks baby," Shane said lifting my legs so he could sit with them on his lap.  
  
"No shit!"  
  
"You'll be fine though. I'll be right there waiting for you."  
  
"What if I wake up during the surgery?"  
  
"You won't feel a thing! The area will be numbed. You'll do fine."  
  
"What if I can't walk after I'm healed up?"  
  
"Baby, stop worrying."  
  
"I can't, I've never had surgery before."  
  
"And I have. So I'm telling you it's nothing to be scared about."  
  
"And you'll definitely be there, right?"  
  
"Without a doubt!"  
  
"If you're not the first face I see when I wake up, I'll be completely pissed!" He laughed at me as he gently ran his hand up and down my leg. "Ya know, I think some where's deep in the back of my mind, I knew I was going to marry you."  
  
"Oh really? Then why didn't you say yes all those times I asked you?!"  
  
"Because of whatever I had with Jeff. Every one just thought it should have been him and me. You and I weren't supposed to get married. We weren't made for each other like Jeff and I were supposedly made for each other. They just had it stuck in my head that I had to marry Jeff."  
  
"What did it matter what anyone else thought?"  
  
"I don't know. I just had someone telling me that Jeff and I were gonna get married someday like everyday."  
  
"Then why'd you marry me?"  
  
"I love you more than I ever thought I could love you. There was just something missing with Jeff and I that wasn't with you and I."  
  
"This is all really weird."  
  
"I know," I said looking down at the floor. "I have a confession to make."  
  
"Oh no, what?"  
  
"I remember having sex with you before the wedding."  
  
"Oh my God. Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah, I wasn't as drunk as I claimed to be. I knew exactly what I was doing. I just couldn't stop myself when things went too far."  
  
"Well, I have a confession too," Shane sighed. "I also remember it."  
  
"Shane!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Look, I didn't want to hurt you and Jeff. That's why I didn't say anything. It was just so great to have been with you again. I didn't want to fuck that up. But instead I fucked up you and Jeff."  
  
"Shane, we were doomed from the beginning. I just know it. I'm so glad Jeff wouldn't go through with the wedding."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because then I would have never been able to marry you and I'd be the most unhappy person EVER!" I smiled at him as he pulled me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around him and his lips touched mine, ever so softly, apply a light pressure the longer we kissed. 


	25. The Cereal Isle

I hobbled down the breakfast food isle, using my crutches for support. Shane was else where in the super market getting other food with the cart. I stood in front of the "children's" cereal contemplating on what kind to get.  
  
"Casey?" the voice was all too familiar. It was a voice I hadn't heard in months. And I actually hoped to never hear it again. But it seemed I wasn't that lucky. I slowly turned, facing the man from my past. I wanted to run, but I knew I couldn't, damn that knee. "Um, wow, hi."  
  
"Jeff, hi," I said looking anyplace but at him.  
  
"How are you?" he asked shoving his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Alright, and you?"  
  
"Oh, I'm doing okay," he smiled at me. "Um, I see you're on crutches, what happened?"  
  
"Busted my knee. I'm having surgery on Tuesday. So Shane and I are shopping for food for the week."  
  
"You and Shane are living together again? How's Shannon liking that?"  
  
"He and Shannon broke up the same nite we did. And where else did you expect me to live? Of course I'm going to want to live with my husband!"  
  
"Your husband?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, my husband," I replied nodding at him.  
  
"You're so joking with me," he laughed. Like everyone else, he thought I was joking, like I had nothing better to do with my time than lie to everyone about being married. So, like with everyone else, I showed him my hand. "Oh my God. When the hell did this happen?!"  
  
"Last week. I decided that I wasn't going to ever love anyone more than him and proposed," I explained.  
  
"How is it possible that no one told me about this?! How did Matt not tell me this?!"  
  
"Matt didn't know till Friday. Along with everyone else. And I made him promise not to tell you or Gil."  
  
"That's great, just wonderful."  
  
"What did you expect Jeff? You broke me. Seriously, you hurt me SO much. I sacrificed everything for you, and that's how you do me?! Besides, I honestly never expected to see you again."  
  
"Oh Jesus, you expected to not see me, when you're at my father's like once a week?"  
  
"Yeah, cause I always chose times when you weren't around."  
  
"Fine, whatever," Jeff snarled.  
  
"I bet you and Bethy are doin just terrific, right?"  
  
"Actually, she and I broke up. She wasn't who I thought she was. I've been meaning to call you, but I couldn't get up the nerve. Now I'm glad I didn't."  
  
"Got the cereal baby?" Shane asked smiling, as he approached us pushing the cart in front of him. "Jeff, hi."  
  
"Yeah, hi. Look, congrats or whatever. I wish you both the best of luck," Jeff said walking away.  
  
"You alright?" Shane asked rubbing my back.  
  
"Yeah, perfect now that you're here," I smiled up at him.  
  
************  
  
"Trish, do you think I made the wrong decision?" I asked laying across the seats in the airport as she and I waited for the connecting flight. Shane, Shan, and Matt had gone off to explore the airport while they had an hour wait.  
  
"Wrong decision for what?" she asked putting her magazine in her carry on.  
  
"About the way Shane and I got married?"  
  
"You don't regret marrying him, do you?"  
  
"Oh no, not at all. I'm just wondering if I should have waited for a real wedding. I never got to be the princess you did. And now, I'm not going to get that chance," I sighed.  
  
"You know what, the big wedding ceremony doesn't matter. You love Shane and he loves you. What you did was the right thing," she assured me.  
  
"I hope so. I just don't want to regret the decision later in time."  
  
"As long as you two love each other, there's nothing to regret."  
  
"Ya know, Shane asked me about starting a family soon."  
  
"Oh? Are you guys trying to have kids?"  
  
"Not yet, I convinced him to wait till we move into his house. I'm not sure I'm ready for kids yet."  
  
"You mean because of the baby you lost?"  
  
"Her name was Rune. And no, not just that. Because I just don't know if I'm ready. I didn't think I was with Rune and I don't now."  
  
"Do you think you'll name your daughter, if you have one, Rune, like in memory of her?"  
  
"Hell no! That name will never be used!"  
  
"Okay, I'm sorry, just asking," Trish said. She shook her head and looked out the large windows as if in thought. She smiled and looked at me. "What kind of wedding would you have, if you could have the ceremony?"  
  
"Oh gees, I don't know. Probably a bigger one than the one Jeff and I were gonna have. But not too big. And just beautiful. Very much my style and modern. But also with a lot of traditional flare. I don't know, it would be like a mutt ceremony," I laughed. "Why?"  
  
"Just curious," she said as the guys came back to us.  
  
We got to the arena, a little late, and quickly got ready for the show. I strapped on a brace I was given and walked around a bit, to make sure it was possible for me to do the run in. I hadn't seen Trish the rest of the nite, it was almost as if she had disappeared.  
  
"Thank you all for coming to this meeting," Trish smiled a she sat in front of a circle of 10 or so people. "This will be fairly quick, because we all have a show to do."  
  
"Yeah, I have 15 minutes Trish, can we hurry this up just a bit?" Amy asked glancing at the clock on the wall.  
  
"Right, well, as you all have heard by now, Shane and Casey got married in a town hall. She told me just a few minutes ago that she wished she had waited so she could have had a ceremony. And that's why you're all here," Trish continued. "I think we should give Casey and Shane the ceremony they deserve and keep it secrete from Casey at least until the rehearsal. I know we can do it, if we all just stick together and help out."  
  
"Isn't it too late to have a ceremony? I mean, they've already signed the papers," Randy said.  
  
"Yes, they have, and no it's not too late. My cousin did this. She got married against my Aunt's wishes and then about a year later when they had saved up for one, they had a formal ceremony. It can be done," Trish said.  
  
"But won't she get pissed that she wasn't included?" Chris asked slipping his boots on.  
  
"I don't think she would be. She thinks it's too late for one. So I think it'll be a good surprise."  
  
"But how do we do this so she doesn't know?" Nora asked.  
  
"I'll be the leader of all this, since I thought of it, and everyone will have a different part. Whether it be to get the tuxes, the dresses, the food, invitations, or whatever. The only way she'd know, would be if someone told her that she was going to have a ceremony."  
  
"What about Shane?" Shannon asked pulling his hair back in a ponytail.  
  
"I think Shane should be involved. He could help with things. Get information that we can't get because we don't live with Case."  
  
"Well, when are we going to get everything done?" Jay asked raising his eyebrows as everyone nodded in agreement. "Cause it's not like we have a lot of time off a week."  
  
"I know, but that just means that we'd have to sacrifice our 2 or 3 days off a week. I know it may be a lot to ask, but I think she'd really like it and she's had a hard time lately and she never got to be the bride she wanted to be," Trish said. "So, what do you all say?"  
  
"Where do we sign up?" Rob asked with a smile.  
  
"Oh this is great! So it's agreed?" Trish said excitedly. They all smiled at her with slight nods. "Alright, then once a week we'll have a meeting, much like this, and decide for the week who will do what. I'd like to do this within the next 6 months, if possible. This is going to be so much fun!"  
  
"Trish, ya know, you're a pretty good friend," Chris said as they started to exit.  
  
"Thanks. I know she would have done the same for me. I'm just doing what I know is right," she said. She started to walk towards the locker room when she spotted Shane off to the side talking to when of the ring crew. "Shane, can I talk to you for a minute?"  
  
"Yeah, sure Trish, what's up?" he asked sipping his water.  
  
"Well, Casey told me just a little while ago that she wishes she had waited to get married so she could have had a real ceremony. But it's not that she regrets it in anyway. Just wishes that she could have that princess bride type wedding," Trish explained.  
  
"Really? Why didn't she tell me?" he asked.  
  
"Probably thought it would hurt your feelings," Trish shrugged. "But I have an idea that could make her wish come true."  
  
"Oh yeah? What's that?"  
  
"We have the ceremony. I've already talked to a bunch of the others and they're more than willing to help. I want to give her a beautiful wedding. But keep it secrete from her. I wanted to tell you about it, cause we're gonna need your help. Getting ideas, people for the invitations, and what not. So what do you say? Think it's a good plan?"  
  
"That's gonna be tough though, isn't it?"  
  
"I don't think so. There's about 10 people right now who are willing to make this work. I'm going to talk to Adam, Mark, and Sara and I'm sure they'll all want to help, even as pissed as Adam may be with her."  
  
"Don't tell Mark or Sara!" Shane exclaimed. "They don't know yet."  
  
"She hasn't told them?!"  
  
"No, she's afraid Mark will kill me," Shane laughed.  
  
"Oh, probably would," Trish replied. "But anyways, what do you say?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm in. So how's this going to work?" Trish smiled at him and explained all the details to him.  
  
****************  
  
I ran down the ramp during Randy's match against Brock, trying desperately to hide my limp and the pain. I slid into the ring as Randy celebrated his win and nailed him in the back with a drop kick. He dropped to the mat, but before I could get out of the ring, I was nailed by Shannon. She had hit me in the back with a chair. I laid on the mat writhing in pain as she stood over me. There was a certain anger in her eyes that had nothing to do with acting. She laughed and took my leg, inserting it in the chair, and did a leg drop onto it. I screamed out in pain. She laughed some more and helped Randy up the ramp. I was helped to the back by medics and the ref. Shane was there waiting for me, with my crutches in his hands. I took them happily and hobbled down the hall with him to leave for home. The next day would be a dozy. The dreaded surgery day had come all to fast and I was no where's near ready for it.  
  
********************  
  
A/N: Okay, this so wasn't the chapter I was talking about in the last one. The next one will be that chapter. I just got a good idea and thought I'd go with it. So be on the look out for the really fun chapter that's up next. I just hope it comes out how I want it to. 


	26. Motorcycle Accident

A/N: Alright, so I'm sorry that this chapter has taken so long to get to ya'll. And this isn't the chapter I was gonna do, but I realized the original chapter was going to take me too long because it was complicated and I've been swamped with lots of Christmas (hell) stuff. Yeah, I'm not a Christmas supporter. The holiday has really givin me nothin but trouble and this year is no different. But I'll tell ya'll what my original idea was. I was going to recreate the Wizard of Oz with the people in the story. But I realized that even with my extensive knowledge of the movie, it would have still taken me forever. So I decided to do a different chapter. And hope this one will be just as good as the other one would have been. The cast list would have been as follows: Dorothy~ Casey (well duh! Lol), Glinda~ Trish (I really don't know why but it just seemed right), Uncle Henry~ Gil, Auntie Em~ Well, I really came up empty on that one, but now that I'm thinking of it, probably Linda McMahon, Mayor of Munchkin City~ Shane O'Mac (I don't know why, but everytime I think of him I picture Shane as the Mayor, Lollipop Guild~ Paul Levesque, Randy Orton, and Chris Irvine (Come on, it just fit lol), Lullaby League~ Stacy, Lita, and Stephanie McMahon (Again, don't know why), Scare Crow~ Shane Helms (lmao), Tin Man~ Adam Copeland (Who else?! Lol), Cowardly Lion~ Matt Hardy (That's just a very comedic role lol Mr. V-ONEAHHHHHHH), Doorman~ Jeff Hardy (I wanted Jeff in there but couldn't think of any other role I liked him in. So I thought Doorman would work), Wizard of Oz~ Vince McMahon (There's no other man that could fill his shoes), Witch's Guard~ Shannon Moore (the only one that talks at the end when she's melting. They just followed her, kinda like Shan did with Matt), and the Wicked Witch~ Well, I'm still not sure, but I'm thinking Beth would be perfect for that role. Lol But yeah, that's who the main characters were gonna be. I mean some of them are probably a little off, but too me most of them just fit right. Anyways, here's the new chapter. I used the song "Where You Are" by Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. This is a really long chapter. So I hope you have a comfy seat!  
  
******************  
  
'There are times  
  
I swear I know you're here'  
  
"Jeff, you gotta forgive me," Beth cried kneeling on the floor of Jeff's living room. He sat on the couch, his arms crossed and his eyes focused on the wall.  
  
"Forgive you?" he questioned, his tone emotionless.  
  
"I made a mistake. I should have never left you!"  
  
"Beth, save your breath."  
  
'When I forget about my fears  
  
Feeling you my dear'  
  
"I love you Jeff, please let me back in your life!"  
  
He looked down at her and shook his head. "Why? So you can leave me again?!"  
  
"No, please!" she pleaded, tears falling down her cheeks.  
  
"No! Beth, do you know what taking you back cost me?!" he exclaimed.  
  
'Watchin over me  
  
And my hope seeks'  
  
"Jeff," she sighed. "I'm sorry!"  
  
"Let me tell you what I lost! I lost my best friend, the love of my life, my SOUL MATE!"  
  
"But I'm your soul mate!"  
  
'What the future will bring  
  
When you wrap me in your wings  
  
And take me'  
  
"No, you're a bitch! Casey's my soul mate. But I lost her because for some ungodly reason I though we could be together. I thought you and I could work thinks out! And now I'll never get her back because she's married!"  
  
"Jeff, we can work through our problems!"  
  
"Beth it's over, we're done with!"  
  
"We can't be! I don't believe that!"  
  
'Where you are  
  
Where you and I will breathe together'  
  
"How stupid do you think I am to take you back, HOW many times?! Beth, you've broken my heart more times than I can count!" Jeff yelled pacing around the living room. "I mean what kind of idiot do you take me for?!"  
  
"None! I know you're not an idiot! But you have to believe me! I'm being sincere about this! I'll never hurt you again!" Beth folded her hands over her chest as tears dripped onto the floor. "Jeff I love you." He stopped pacing and looked at her.  
  
"Well, Beth, I don't love you," he spoke firmly and pointed towards the door. "Leave."  
  
'Once again  
  
We'll be dancing in the moonlight'  
  
"No, Jeff, please give me another chance," she begged getting to her feet.  
  
"It was a mistake to have let you in to begin with. I want you out of my house!"  
  
"This is going to be the biggest mistake you'll ever make," she sobbed as he followed her to the door.  
  
"No, leaving Casey for you was the biggest mistake I've ever made," he replied shutting the door behind her. "There goes my past. Maybe that'll be the last time history repeats it's self."  
  
'Just like we used to do  
  
And you'll be smilin back at me'  
  
Jeff sighed as he went to his room, deciding he'd take a nap. He closed the blinds, the rain pouring down and the winds howling. He laid in his empty bed and fell into a restless sleep. He tossed and turned as dreams of his past haunted him.  
  
'Only then will I be free  
  
When I can be  
  
Where you are'  
  
"WHOA!!! Casey, chill!! Stop!" the person yelled. I recognized that voice, but it didn't hit me until he held my hands tightly and stopped me from hitting him. I looked into the face that held deep green eyes. Into a face that I've looked at millions of times. Into a face that I had gotten to know fairly well earlier in the night. "Are ya done yet!?"  
  
I sat up on his chest and looked at him. He was no intruder, he was a friend. "JEFF!!! What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"If you'd get off me, I'd be more than happy to tell you." I stood up and looked towards the open door. In the doorway stood Matt, Amy, and Trish. They all had worried looks on their faces. I helped Jeff up and motioned for them all to come in. I sat on the bed and held my head in my hands. Trish sat next to me and put a comforting arm around me. I looked up at Jeff as he rubbed his jaw. "Damn, girl. You've got one hard punch!"  
  
Jeff groaned and turned over, his mind going into another dream.  
  
'And I can see your face  
  
Your kiss I still can taste'  
  
Our food arrived shortly after and Jeff began to open his mouth, but I covered it with my hand. The waiter left after making sure we had everything we needed. Once he turned into the kitchen, Jeff licked my hand. My jaw dropped to the floor in disgust and I quickly took my hand away. Jeff smiled slyly at me as I looked at my hand. "EWWWW!!!! That is soo gross! I can't believe you just did that!"  
  
"That'll teach ya to put your hand there." I quickly wiped my hand on his shirtsleeve has everyone stared at us. Jeff laughed and began to eat. I continued to wipe off his spit on his shirt.  
  
"What'd you do?" Amy asked.  
  
"Oh I just licked her hand," he said with a mouth full of French toast. Amy gave him a look of disgust and went back to her food.  
  
"I have some disinfectant hand wash stuff from Bath N' Body Works if you want to use it," Trish said reaching into her purse.  
  
"Hey, I don't have any diseases or anything."  
  
"Are you sure? I don't know. Sometimes I wonder about that. Casey, you may have to get some sort of shot," Trish said continuing the Jeff bashing.  
  
"Yeah, I am starting to feel a little weird. Kinda sick like. What the hell did you give me?!" I said putting a hand to my forehead. Amy reached across Matt and put her hand up to my cheek and felt to see if I was warm.  
  
"I didn't give you anything!! I swear, I've got nothing! Matt, bro, back me up here," Jeff pleaded. Matt just put his hand on my other cheek and shook his head.  
  
"Casey, hun, you do feel a little warm. Don't you agree Matt?" Amy asked. Matt nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"I think, I think, I think I'm gonna.."I closed my eyes and leaned my head back pretending to pass out. Jeff dropped his fork in his syrup and stared at me. Trish, Amy, and Matt looked right at him. He took my hand and tried waking me. He put his other hand on my cheek and put his face close to mine.  
  
"Casey, please, wake up! I'm sorry. I know I don't have anything deadly! Gees, maybe she's allergic to my spit or something!" Jeff started to spaz out. I knew I couldn't make him go through it much longer, although it was very funny.  
  
I popped my eyes open and he stopped yelling. "Jeff, GOT YA!!!" He let go of my hand and face and looked at me. His mouth dropped open as the others laughed.  
  
"You were joking?" I nodded. "I hate you all. I really thought you got sick."  
  
"I know cause I'm THAT damn good!" I smiled, but he didn't smile back. My smile faded as I looked into his caring green eyes. 'Wow, I really hurt him' I thought. His smile soon returned to his face. I raised my eyebrows at him. I knew he had a plan in his head. I just didn't know what.  
  
"You know, you're a really good actress. But, I'm, I'm gonna get you back. Soon!"  
  
"Casey," he moaned sleepily.  
  
'Not a memory erased  
  
Oh, I see your star'  
  
I looked at Jeff as he gave Seth a high five. Jeff sauntered passed me as I glared at him.  
  
"You told him something, didn't you?!"  
  
"Maybe, maybe not. You should really call him sometime.who knows, maybe we can all get a free dinner sometime." Jeff grinned. I ran after him and jumped on his back. He wrapped his arms around my legs as I pounded playfully on his head. I took his hat off and placed it on my head. I then wrapped my arms around his neck and let him carry me to the car.  
  
"I'm sorry," Jeff said softly as he continued to sleep.  
  
'Shining down on me  
  
And I'd do anything'  
  
"I'm saying, that if your psycho, your friends must be too." I glared at him. I lunged at him playfully and we started wrestling around on the locker room floor. He had me pinned to the floor and began tickling me. When he couldn't find my ticklish spot he looked at me strangely. "Alright, where is it? You have to have a ticklish spot. Everyone does."  
  
"I'm not telling," I said in a snobbish tone. He tried looking for it again. He looked at my feet and began taking off my shoes. I looked at him pleadingly and he smiled devilishly. I crunched up my feet as best I could as he laughed. "Okay, I give. You win!!"  
  
"What was that?! Hmmm..I didn't quite hear you! Could your feet be your ticklish spot?! Why I do believe they are!" He went right for my feet I tried to move but he was too heavy and I couldn't budge. It was horrible. I couldn't stop laughing. My stomach was hurting so bad and tears had started to roll down my cheek. I was screaming for him to stop, but he just kept going ignoring my pleas. Matt opened the door and stared at us. We didn't notice he was there until he spoke.  
  
"If I knew you guys would go at it while I was gone I wouldn't have left. Okay, this is disgusting! Would you guys cut this out? I'm going to have to burn my eyes out of my head!" Matt teased. Jeff stopped and looked at him. He quickly stood up and helped me to my, now bare, feet. I continued to laugh and grabbed my stomach with each laugh.  
  
"We weren't doing anything. I swear, bro. We were just horsing around. Completely innocent!" Jeff pleaded his case. Matt laughed at him.  
  
"I know what you were doing. Gees, I can see. I just wished I hadn't seen that! Man, I'm gonna have nightmares!" Matt continued to tease us. I took it as it was meant to be taken, as a joke. Jeff seemed to take it seriously and stepped as far away from me as he could get. "Bro, I was just joking. If I didn't know any better I'd say you had a crush on Case."  
  
Jeff gave Matt a sideways glance that I didn't see. Matt's jaw dropped to the floor. He grabbed Jeff's arm and pulled him towards him.  
  
"You do have a crush on her, don't you?" Matt whispered. Jeff nodded his head and looked towards me to make sure I wasn't listening.  
  
"Bro, don't tell her. I don't want her or anyone else to know. I don't want to ruin our friendship. You understand don't you?"  
  
"Friends." Jeff rolled over and cringed as he dreamt.  
  
'If I could just  
  
Be right there'  
  
I rushed over there and stood next to the table. "What the hell do you think you are doing!"  
  
"It's none of your business!" Beth screamed at me. "Who the hell do you think you are for popping into this?!"  
  
"I'm his friend! And you I see are a bitch!" I screamed back at her.  
  
"Case, don't get into this. Just go back to Shane," Jeff said rubbing his cheek.  
  
"No, I will not. I'm your friend and you don't deserve to be slapped!" I yelled standing my ground. By this time, Shane, Amy, Shannon, and Crystal had stood behind us.  
  
"You don't belong in this discussion! It's between me and Jeff!" she yelled.  
  
"Oh, so it's okay for you to have someone back you up, but not for Jeff!? That's bull shit!" I screamed.  
  
"Girl, just get out of the way!" Beth's guy friend pushed me roughly into the table. Beth started laughing and I just got angrier. Jeff jumped up and stood next to me.  
  
"Lee, don't you ever touch her!" Jeff yelled.  
  
"Oh, you mean like this?!" Lee pushed me again. This time I stood my ground and didn't budge. Beth stopped laughing, as she and Lee stood there shocked. I balled my hands into fists.  
  
"Oh, now you've got a little girl fighting your battles, Jeff?" Beth said as I stepped up closer to her.  
  
"No, he can fight his own battles. This is my battle!" I threw my arm back as far as possible and threw it at Beth. She fell backwards onto the floor and I stood over her. "Never, EVER, slap Jeff again." Lee quickly jumped to Beth's side and helped her up. He stood in front of me and towered over me thinking he could scare me.  
  
"Don't touch her EVER!" He pulled back his arm and slapped me. I put my hand up to my cheek and stared at him coldly. I felt Jeff's strong comforting hand on one shoulder and Shane's soft caring hand on the other. I looked at them and the others as they stood behind us.  
  
"I thought Jeff told you not to touch her," Shane said stepping up. I put my hand on his arm and pulled him back.  
  
"No, let me do this. I'll be the one with the bruise on my cheek. I should be the one to do this." I pulled back my arm and threw my fist at Lee. He stumbled backwards as I walked over to him. "Don't touch me again."  
  
"Thank you," Jeff smiled in his sleep.  
  
'Where you are  
  
Where you and I will breathe together'  
  
"Case, what are you doin up?" Jeff asked walking in the back door.  
  
"I'm makin M&M brownies for Shane and his parents."  
  
"Ahh, meetin the rents for the first time?"  
  
"Yeah. What are you doin here anyways? Isn't it past your bedtime?" I asked as I mixed up the batter.  
  
"I was out for a walk with Liger."  
  
"And Liger would be....?"  
  
"At home," he said shyly. I chuckled and licked the spoon.  
  
"And the makes sense, how?"  
  
"I don't know. I figured I'd walk around at 3 in the morning and saw the light on here in the kitchen. Thought I'd stop in."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Nervous?"  
  
"Is it that obvious?"  
  
"Yeah it is," he said sticking his finger in the batter. I slapped it and smiled.  
  
"I've worked too hard on these for your nasty paws to be all through it!"  
  
"I think I'm offended."  
  
"You think? And your head didn't explode? HOLY SHIT!" I joked. He picked up an egg and cracked it on my head. "You ass!"  
  
"Yeah, well," he said.  
  
"And to think, I went to all the trouble to make you these," I said putting a plate of skittle brownies under his nose. He reached for one and I pulled the plate away.  
  
"Okay, that was cruel," he said. I smiled sweetly and shrugged.  
  
"That's what you get for being an ass," I said putting the plate down.  
  
"PLEASE?!" he pleaded with a pout.  
  
"Jeffrey, don't you do that face with me. Shannon's the only one that pulls that face off with me," I said crossing my arms as yolk fell down my cheek and on the floor. "You do know that you will be helping me clean all this up, right?"  
  
"Please?" he said getting in my face.  
  
"UGH! Alright! Take em!" I said. He jumped up and down as I moved the plate down the counter for him to take one. He smiled as he took a big bite and half of it fell on the floor. "I can not believe you just did that."  
  
"Did what? This?" he said taking another brownie off of the plate and dropping it on the floor. His jaw dropped and he placed his hands over his mouth. "Did I do that?!"  
  
"You will die!" I exclaimed as I flung batter off the spoon and it hit the side of his face. His eyes grew wide in amazement as I stood there with my arms crossed, tapping the spoon on my shoulder.  
  
His lips curled into an evil devilish smile. He was thinking, thinking bad thoughts. He nodded slightly and picked up the measuring cup full of milk. He wiggled his eyebrows and threw the milk on me. It dripped off me and made a puddle on the floor. I picked up and egg, with the help of my softball skills, I nailed the middle of his forehead. Yolk dripped down his face as he opened a bag of brownie mix. He took a hand full and blew it onto me. Caked in mix, I picked up a hand full of batter I had just mixed and slammed my palm on his cheek. It slowly fell down to the floor. That was it, the end of the world. With a primal cry, he lunged at me with the jug of milk in one hand and an egg in the other. I screamed slightly and grabbed the bowl of brownie mix. It was an all out food fight. The kitchen was covered, as were we. He sat on my chest threatening to crack another egg on my face when Gil walked into the kitchen.  
  
"JEFFREY NERO HARDY! CASEY LEE PINIARSKI!!!" he yelled. Jeff immediately slid off me and sat next to me as we looked at Gil with fear in our eyes. "CLEAN THIS GOD DAMN MESS UP NOW!!!! THEN GO TO BED!!!"  
  
"Yes Dad," we said in unison. Gil threw a mop, bucket, and a couple sponges at us before retreating back to bed.  
  
"How is it that he scares me more than Mark?" I asked as I filled a bucket with water and soap.  
  
"I'm 25 and I'm still scared of him!" Jeff laughed.  
  
I shrugged and grabbed a sponge. I started scrubbing the counter while Jeff mopped the floor. When we finished the big jobs, we worked on the small crevices on the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jeff reach into the bucket. I kept working and sudden felt hot soapy water run down my face. I looked at Jeff and saw that he was kneeling with his hands over my head. He smiled and quickly went back to work innocently. I scooped up some water and threw it at him. I looked at the ceiling, as if to say, where the hell did that water come from. He soaked up water with the sponge and threw it at me. I gasped and pushed the bucket over onto him. He went to stand and slid back down to the floor. He laid on his back and I straddled his stomach. I took the bucket and with the water that was left in it, dumped it on his face. I smiled as we looked into each other's eyes deeply. I moved my face closer to his. I could feel his hot breath on my face. I gasped slightly and wiped his cheek with my hand as I pulled back. He looked up at me with confusion in his eyes.  
  
"Umm....stray strand of hair," I said trying to smile. He nodded as I slid off him. I got up and began to clean up the mess we made once again. He stood and helped me. We glanced at each other and smiled.  
  
"I guess we're done," Jeff said leaning on the mop. I sat on the counter and blew a piece of hair out of my face. I nodded as I looked around.  
  
"Guess I should be getting to bed. I'll have to break it to Shane that we played with his brownies," I joked.  
  
"Yeah, guess so," Jeff muttered.  
  
"Jeff," I said. He looked at me and sighed.  
  
"I...I...I gotta go. Goodnite, Casey," he said as he walked out the door he came in.  
  
He laughed quietly, pulling the blankets up more.  
  
'Once again  
  
We'll be dancing in the moonlight  
  
Just like we used to do'  
  
We got out of the car and walked into the packed store. Some how we had gotten everyone's attention because they all stopped and stared at us.  
  
"Jeff, is there something on my face?"  
  
"No. Mine?"  
  
"No....then why the hell are they all starin at us?" I asked in a whisper.  
  
"Don't know. Let's just get our stuff," he said grabbing a cart and pushing it with one hand as he put his free arm around my waist.  
  
We threw in random things. Cases of soda, chips, dips, cookies, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars, hamburgers, hamburger buns, and every other food imaginable. We even got skittles!  
  
"Okay, now I want you to make those brownies!" Jeff said.  
  
"Ummm...no. Remember the last time I did that?! It ended up all over the damn kitchen!" I said as we examined the coolers filled with beer.  
  
"Come on.....please? I'll help you," he pleaded.  
  
"Dude, that was the whole problem!" I exclaimed with a laugh.  
  
"PLEASE?!"  
  
"Aight, but you definitely have to help!" I said.  
  
"SWEET! Karen's gonna love em!" he said excitedly as he threw a case of Bud light, Heineken, and Schmernoff.  
  
"Karen? Oh, you....your date," I said looking at the floor.  
  
"Yeah, I think you'll really like her," he said putting his hand on my face.  
  
"Yeah, maybe," I said softly.  
  
"Why do you sound so sad about all this?" he asked raising my head up to look at him.  
  
"I'm not. Don't be crazy," I laughed.  
  
"There's something wrong. I know there is. What is it?" he asked.  
  
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong."  
  
"Casey, I know you and know there is something wrong. Now what..."  
  
"JEFF!! Drop it!" I snapped.  
  
"No, Casey, I'm not gonna drop this. Tell me what's goin on!" he demanded.  
  
"Damn it Jeff!! There is nothing wrong!" I exclaimed.  
  
"I'm not dropping this!"  
  
"Well that's too damn bad!" I yelled as I stormed off.  
  
"You piss me off so bad sometimes!" Jeff yelled. Again we had the attention of the whole store.  
  
"I piss you off!? Fuck that!" I yelled.  
  
"Casey, don't you walk away! Get your ass back here!"  
  
"ASSHOLE!!" I screamed back at him.  
  
"SLUT!!!" he screamed and immediately he covered his mouth with his hand.  
  
"What?! You did not just call me that!" I screamed near tears.  
  
"Oh shit Case. I'm so fuckin sorry! I didn't mean to say that!" he said as he left the cart and walked to me. I shook my head and backed away.  
  
"No. You did. You seriously meant it," I said through clenched teeth as he tried to put his hand on my shoulders.  
  
"No, I swear. I didn't mean it. It just came out. Really. I didn't mean it!" he said as I backed up into a shelf.  
  
"You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it," I said choking back tears.  
  
"Come on Case. Let's just finish shopping and we'll talk about this later at home," he said.  
  
"No, we won't. I'm goin to get a cab," I said as I pushed him away.  
  
"It's too expensive!"  
  
"I honestly don't give a shit!" I said grabbing my bag and starting for my way out of the store.  
  
"Come on Case, be reasonable," he said following me.  
  
"You called me a slut Jeff. A fuckin slut! That's not a good thing!" I said turning to face him.  
  
"I know. And I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it. You know I didn't. I would never mean something like that. I love you," he said as I let him take me into his arms.  
  
"You know how I feel about that!" I said as I let a tear go.  
  
"I know. I was just pissed. It just popped out. I would never seriously call you that. Cause you're not. You're really not!" he said as he pulled away. "Listen, don't cry over this. Please? It's supposed to be a good time tomorrow nite. We don't really need to have this kind of tension and stuff."  
  
"You're right. I'm sorry, I over reacted."  
  
"No, you didn't. You were right to act the way you did. I was in the wrong here, not you," he said wiping my tears. "Let's finish this shopping."  
  
"Okay. Sure," I said as we walked back to the cart.  
  
"Well, aren't you two the cute couple!" a woman said walking up to us.  
  
"We're not a couple," I said with a smile.  
  
"Your hair matches and everything! So damn cute!"  
  
"Ma'am, we're not a couple," Jeff said.  
  
"It just tore me apart to see two kids like you, so in love, fighting."  
  
"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Jeff and I shouted.  
  
"But it did turn out to be a happy ending. Making up and all." Jeff sighed as my face began to get warm with anger.  
  
"We're.."  
  
"Yeah, we're in love," Jeff said putting his arm around me. I looked up at him and he just smiled.  
  
"Awe, now that's what I like to see!" The woman walked off and Jeff began to laugh.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Oh come on. There was no point in arguing with that lady!" he laughed.  
  
"Yeah, you're right!" I said.  
  
"So, sweetheart, baby, honey bunch, Mike's hard lemonade?" he asked picking up a case.  
  
"Yes, honey. I think that would be good," I smiled. "Are we ready to go Jeffy Weffy?"  
  
"Okay, that's a little much!" Jeff said as we burst out laughing.  
  
'And you'll be smilin back at me  
  
Only then will I be free  
  
When I can be  
  
Where you are'  
  
"Hey ya'll! Body shots time!" Crystal announced as she brought out a tray with the normal body shot ingredients. "Shannon, get your ass over here!"  
  
Shannon ran over to her and licked her neck so the salt would stick. When he was done she did the same to him on his chest. When mine and Shane's turn came around he put the salt on my chest since he was a little more then buzzed at this time. And I was just buzzed enough to not care!  
  
"Hey, why don't you and Jeff do one?" Sean suggested. The two of us shot him a dirty look and then looked at each other.  
  
"Yeah, go for it!" Shane said with a smile. He was obviously too out of it, or he wouldn't have been so willing.  
  
"I don't mind. Go ahead if you want!" Karen said. Jeff and I sighed at the same time and walked towards each other. I licked his neck and applied the salt taking salt and shot I went for the lemon that he had in his mouth. I went to suck the juice out of it and it fell to the ground. Our lips connected and an electric shock seemed to run through both of us. We quickly pulled away and decided that we had had enough body shots for one nite.  
  
He cringed, thinking about Karen, curling himself into a ball.  
  
'Then I will be free  
  
So take me where you are'  
  
"KAREN!! NO!!! Please!!!" Jeff screamed. Karen got closer to him and brought the knife down towards his arm. I tried to open the door but found it locked.  
  
"Jeff!! Hold on!!! I'm coming!!!" I screamed as I frantically unlocked the door with the spare key he had given me. I didn't bother to wipe my feet or take anything off as I ran through the house.  
  
"Jeff, you should have just listened!" Karen laughed as I ran into the kitchen.  
  
"JEFF!!" I screamed as Karen turned around to face me. Her face was red with anger as she held the knife up high. I glanced over at Jeff and saw him holding his arm. There was a light trickle of blood falling down his arm where she had obviously cut him.  
  
"Casey!! I'm so happy to see you!" Karen said joyously. She put the knife on the counter and walked towards me.  
  
"Get the fuck away from me!" I said angrily as I balled my hands into tight fists.  
  
"Ya know, we really should hang out this week while ya'll are home!" she said getting closer with each word.  
  
"Karen, I swear, if I EVER catch you hurting Jeff again, I'll kill you!" I yelled furiously.  
  
"Hurt him?!" she laughed. "I would never hurt him! I love my Jeffy!"  
  
"Case, please just go. I can handle this," Jeff said softly. Just then, Karen turned on him and brought the knife back into her hand.  
  
"Who the hell told you to speak!?" she screamed as Jeff backed into the corner once again. I ran up behind Karen and whipped her around. I stared at her as she looked back at me, eyes full of anger.  
  
"Leave Karen!" I yelled.  
  
"Who's gonna make me? Obviously not that pathetic pile of human that I call boyfriend. And you wouldn't dare try to make me," she said bringing the knife up between our faces.  
  
"Ya wanna bet?" I said calmly. She gave me a sly smile before pulling the knife back. She flung it towards me, but I caught her arm in my hand and pushed her down to the floor. I stood over her and nodded as she scrambled to get the knife. I kicked the knife out of the way and allowed her to stand. "GET OUT!"  
  
"NO!" she screamed as she ran at me, arms flailing. Before thinking, I got in position for DDT. She hit the floor hard, not knowing how to block or protect herself from a move like that. I straddled her as she laid on the floor grabbing at her head. I grabbed her shirt and pulled her up so she was looking at me.  
  
"GET OUT! AND DON'T YOU DARE COME BACK!" I screamed as I threw her down to the floor. I stood and walked over to Jeff, who was huddling in the corner, scared for his life.  
  
"No, I won't leave. Only Jeff can tell me to leave and he wouldn't ever because he loves me," she said confidently. I looked at Jeff with pleading eyes and he nodded.  
  
"Karen, leave. Leave now!" he said bravely. I smiled as her jaw dropped to the floor in surprise. She made a growling noise before walking out of the kitchen. She slammed the door shut and we heard her tires squealing down the driveway.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked softly as I looked into his green eyes, that started returning to their normal state.  
  
"Yeah, thanks to you. I'm sorry that I didn't listen when you told me that she was abusing me. I'm glad you came when you did. I was so scared. I actually thought she might kill me," he said softly.  
  
"I know, me too! I'm just glad I could stop her. Come on, lets go to Dad's and get that arm cleaned up and stuff," I said with a smile as he took my hand in his.  
  
'Now baby there were times when selfishly  
  
I'm wishing that you are here with me'  
  
"Alright. Now we all know the way this works. The guy that catches the garter belt is supposed to put it on the leg of the girl that catches the bouquet. Then they're destined to be married. Well, Jeff, Casey, there's a chair in the middle of the floor with your names on it!" the dj said. I walked to the chair and stared at Jeff with a little smile. He gave me a shrug as I sat in the chair. "Okay, Jeff, just slide it on up her leg."  
  
"I'm sorry," Jeff said quietly as he slowly slid the small ring of fabric up my leg. I placed my hands on his shoulders as he gently slid his hands up my leg. I sighed deeply as I felt them touch my thigh. He stopped moving the fabric, but moved his hand up slightly more as I let out a quiet gasp. He quickly removed his hands and looked at me.  
  
"Alright, now it's been requested that you two share a dance. So, come on, get on up. Everyone, I'd like to present to you, possibly the future Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Hardy!" the dj said as he walked behind his booth.  
  
Jeff took my hands and pulled me to my feet. Like during the wedding party dance, I wrapped my arms around his neck and place my head on his chest. I felt very comfortable as the song began.  
  
"I'm sorry that I caught the thing. I really didn't want to," Jeff whispered to me.  
  
"That's okay. Ya know, it's not like you could have really helped it," I replied.  
  
"This is kinda weird though, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah it is, it's almost like they planned it this way," I laughed.  
  
"I was just thinking that. I mean look at Matt and Amy. They look absolutely happy that we're doin this," Jeff laughed.  
  
"I know, all I hear from her is about how you and I should hook up," I said.  
  
"This had to have been their little creation," Jeff decided.  
  
"Ya wanna hear the worst part?" I asked with a laugh. He nodded and I continued. "I picked out the song for this dance."  
  
"Oh man! You didn't!" Jeff laughed. I chuckled as I nodded my head on his chest.  
  
"Case, I have to be honest with you. I'm not hating this," Jeff said.  
  
"Me either," I sighed softly.  
  
"Thanks for the dance," I said as I looked into his eyes. He moved his head towards mine and placed his soft lips on mine.  
  
He buried his head in his pillow and sighed.  
  
'So I can wipe the tears away from your eyes  
  
And make you see'  
  
"God Jeff, that was amazing," I breathed flopping back on the bed. I turned onto my side and stared at him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too," he smiled kissing my forehead. "Was it everything you hoped it would be?"  
  
"Yes, and SO much more. Jeff, I've never felt so connected with anyone. And that sex was just, God, I can't even explain how connected with you I felt."  
  
"Baby, I've waited so long to have that with you. I'm so glad my thoughts and fears didn't interfere. I don't want to lose you because I can't get over the past."  
  
"Jeff, you'll never lose me," I smiled at him before falling asleep on his chest.  
  
"But I have lost you. Casey, I need you," he grumbled.  
  
'That every night while you are dreamin  
  
I'm here to guard you from a far'  
  
"I'm glad that my last nite with the WWE could be right here in Charlotte, North Carolina," Jeff started. "And although my last match isn't until later I wanted to come out here and leave by doing something special."  
  
"I fell in love almost 4 years ago when I first laid my eyes on this one special girl. I remember the first time I saw her. She was soaking from head to toe. Her dyed blonde hair dripped with rain water and her crystal blue eyes showed much pain and sorrow even though she smiled brightly. I remember how she looked in a pair of my athletic pants, in which she still wears around the house today, and couldn't believe how beautiful she looked."  
  
"She's changed so much from that shy girl that I met. Our friendship has been through so many trials and tribulations, but I couldn't imagine being with anyone else during those times. I remember the first time she jumped off a ladder and how Matt was convinced that his little sister wasn't ready for such risks. Since that moment she's thrown her body into many different things. From simple single matches, to hardcore matches, to TLC matches, and everything in between. She's a true daredevil trapped in an angel's body. Everyone has been able to see our relationship grow on and off screen. I love every single part of her. From her small ticklish feet to her now purple, black, and blue streaked bleach blonde hair. I love how her small hands, that usually have dark blue and black finger nails, fit in mine. I love how she giggles whenever I go to kiss her neck because of my goatee. Since the moment of her first match she's been called the female version of me, and she is so much like me it's amazing. Even though she's as tough as anyone of us guys, she has this certain childish innocence about her. One minute she could be kicking anyone of our asses and the next she could be watching the Lion King. I know that right now she's got Edge's sweatshirt on over her freezing cold body, sitting in the Diva's locker room watching this with her headphones around her neck, ready to listen to probably Unloco, and has this blank look on her face."  
  
"Now that I've blabbed on long enough, Casey Piniarski, could you come out here?" he requested.  
  
I walked out to a tremendous pop as I gave Jeff a nervous smile. I lowered my baggy black jeans slightly and slowly walked to the ring. Jeff smiled at me as I stood in front of him. The arena suddenly became hushed.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
  
"Casey, you know that I love you and always have. You also know me well enough to know that I have to go out with a bang. And what's better then confessing my love for you. And I mean you, Casey Lee Piniarski, not Mystic Angel," he said as I continued to stare at him.  
  
"I don't understand. Are the McMahon's cool with all this?!" I asked.  
  
"We've been friends for almost 4 years and a couple for almost a year. I think we're ready for this."  
  
"Jeff, are you saying what I think you're saying?" I asked as he took my left hand in his and dropped down to his knee. He pulled out a black velvet box from his back pocket and opened it to reveal a silver band with a diamond heart on it.  
  
"Casey, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you become Casey Hardy and be my wife?" he asked as I immediately put my hand to my gaping mouth. My eyes watered as I felt everyone begin to chant yes in anticipation for my answer. I knelt down to his level and smiled.  
  
"Yes Jeff. I want to be your wife!" I replied as everyone stood in the arena and applauded. Jeff smiled as he placed the ring on my finger and wrapped me tightly in his arms. We stood and I kissed him deeply before we left the ring.  
  
"There goes the happiest WWE couple I've seen in the longest time," JR said. "We all wish Casey, better known as Mystic Angel to the wrestling world, and Jeff Hardy luck in the future."  
  
"We were gonna be great together. We were going to be forever."  
  
'And anytime I feel alone  
  
I close my eyes and just be there'  
  
"I'm afraid of losing you! I'm afraid of fucking up your career! I'm afraid of being left alone!!" I cried. He dropped down in front of me and wrapped his arms around my waist.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I've been keeping this to myself for the past 2 months. I haven't told anyone. I'm........Jeff, you and I......" I lowered my head and shook it as tears hit the floor.  
  
"Casey, you can tell me anything. What have you been keeping from me for 2 months? You and I are what?" Jeff asked calmly.  
  
"We're going to have a baby," I whispered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm pregnant with your child," I repeated.  
  
"Oh my God," Jeff sighed starting to pace again.  
  
"I knew this was going to be bad," I cried.  
  
"No, no, Case, you've got it all wrong. I love you and I'm going to love our child," he smiled at me. "Why'd you keep it from me this long?"  
  
"Like I said, I was scared."  
  
"You had nothing to be scared of. Baby, you're the world to me. Something like this would NEVER upset me. I love you."  
  
"I didn't fuck up again?"  
  
"Oh God no!" Jeff laughed sitting on the bed next to me. "WE fucked up!" He leaned in and kissed me. "I'm not going to leave you, I'm not going to leave our baby, and this is not going to screw with my career. If anything, it'll help. You'll give me more inspiration."  
  
"Are you sure?" I questioned as he wiped my cheeks.  
  
"Positive," he smiled.  
  
"Rune.." 'Where you are  
  
Where you and I can breathe together'  
  
"Jeff, what's the matter?" I asked worried.  
  
"We need to talk," he replied pulling the desk chair in front of me.  
  
"Oh, why don't I like the sound of this?" I asked glancing out the window as the rain poured down and lightening struck.  
  
"Casey, you know how much I love you, right?" he questioned.  
  
"I think so. But I have a feeling that after this conversation I won't," I replied.  
  
"Baby, I love you so much, and I always will. You're a big part of me. If I didn't love you this much I wouldn't have worked so hard at making this relationship work."  
  
"Well, I've tried hard too! What's the point to all this?!"  
  
"After all the time we've spent on this relationship, I realized that I can't do this anymore."  
  
"Jeff, I don't know what you've heard, but I swear I haven't done anything! I wouldn't do that again! I learned from my mistake the first time!" I panicked.  
  
"No, it's not that. I haven't heard that you've done anything. I trust you, I really do."  
  
"Then why do I get the feeling you're breakin up with me?!" I cried.  
  
"Because, I, well, I am."  
  
"I'm so sorry.."  
  
'(and we will breathe together baby)  
  
Once again (oh, we'll be dancing in the moonlight)'  
  
"Oh God," Jeff spoke hoarsely as he woke suddenly. "How could I do that to her!"  
  
"We've been through too much to not be together in some form for the rest of our lives!" Jeff ran down the stairs, throwing his coat on and grabbed his motorcycle helmet. The rain ad stopped, but the ground was sopping wet. He jumped on his bike and raced down the road.  
  
"I can't le her go! She's my life. She's a part of me!" he spoke racing down a 35 mph road. "I don't care if she's married Shane. I'd rather be friends than nothing at all. We were friends first!"  
  
He was determined to get to my apartment in record time, having gotten my address from his father after he had seen me in the supermarket. He was going so fast that he didn't worry about the road conditions. Suddenly h slid into loose dirt and went right into a ditch.  
  
My eyes popped open and I was aware of pain in my leg. I glanced around, seeing I was in my hospital room.  
  
"Shane," I managed to speak.  
  
"Oh baby, you're awake. Are you alright?" Shane asked running to my side.  
  
"Shane," I cleared my throat. "Shane, where's Jeff?"  
  
"I don't know. I'd assume home. Are you okay? Should I get a doctor?" he questioned worriedly starting for the door. I grabbed his hand and shook my head furiously.  
  
'We'll be dancin in the moonlight  
  
Just like we used to be  
  
And you'll be smilin back at me  
  
(only then will I be free)  
  
Then I will be free'  
  
"Call Jeff, please Shane," I requested.  
  
"Why? Sweetie let me get a doctor."  
  
"Something's wrong! Shane, I dreamt he got into a motorcycle accident on the wet roads," I explained.  
  
"Honey, it was just a dream," Shane smiled.  
  
"Just call his house and his cell! Please Shane! I know my dreams!"  
  
"Alright, alright, I'll call him," Shane caved getting his phone out. He shook his head after receiving no answer on Jeff's home phone. "He's not answering his cell either."  
  
"There's something wrong! He always answers his cell phone! Shane, you gotta go find him!"  
  
"He could be anywhere's!"  
  
"He was on his way to my apartment! Please find him!"  
  
"Casey, I'm sure he's fine," Shane tried calming me.  
  
"31 year old male. Motorcycle accident. None responsive." Docotors flew past my room and I burst into tears. Shane quickly ran after them, stopping when he reached a private room.  
  
"Oh God, please let him be okay! Jeff can't leave me. He's my best friend. Even after everything. I'll forgive him if he just lives!" I cried.  
  
'Baby I still believe  
  
Oh I've got to believe  
  
I will touch you that sweet day  
  
That you take me there  
  
Where you are  
  
I still believe'  
  
"Time of death 3:33 pm." Slowly, doctors exited the room, pulling gloves off their hands.  
  
"Excuse me, you wouldn't be able to tell me who that is, would you?" Shane questioned a doctor.  
  
"Sorry, if you're not immediate family, then no," he responded.  
  
"Well my girlfriend in there seems to think it's her ex, Jeff Hardy," he replied.  
  
"Jeff Hardy?" the doctor exclaimed.  
  
"Oh no, it is him, isn't it?"  
  
"Paramedics responded to another bike accident at 2 this afternoon. They took him to a smaller hospital. He wasn't too bad. He was well protected. Mostly just cuts and bruises. He should be sent home tonite, I expect. His name was Jeff Hardy and he said he was on his way to see an ex, Casey Helms." 


	27. Babies

A/N: As you all know, cause I've been very vocal about it, ff.net sucks. I made one MS..as some of you know..and not only did they delete that, but they also stopped me from posting new chapters till the 8th. This chapter was supposed to be up on the 4th, but because of their assholeness, I couldn't post it then. But hey, it's longer now! Lol And to those of you that were in that MS, I'm hoping to get that back up eventually, but I'm unsure of when right now. Gone is my first priority and I said that before I started the thing. I think that's it. There will probably be another chapter posted right after this one, considering I've had so long to wait before I could post again. So look out for that.  
  
*********************  
  
"Are you sure we have to do this?" Shane asked as we sat in the car outside of my father's ranch style home.  
  
I laughed. "Yeah, baby, we do. We have to tell them."  
  
"But he's gonna kill me!"  
  
I put my hand on his knee and smiled. "As long as K is in the house, you're safe. Although, you may want to sleep with one eye open."  
  
"Oh thank you," Shane replied sarcastically. I laughed and we got out of the car.  
  
"Come on, everything will be fine," I smiled as Shane carried our stuff up the driveway. I hobbled along behind him, my hands placed in my pockets nervously. I opened the door and we stepped into the large open hall. "We're here!" I announced. There were footsteps running towards us from the upstairs. Standing on the balcony was a 5 year old Kalista Love looking down on us. Her bright blue eyes lit up and she slid down the banister. My eyes grew wide as I rushed to the bottom of the banister, just in time for her to land on her feet. "Oh God," I breathed in relief. "You scared me!"  
  
"You taught me that!" she laughed.  
  
"Yeah, let's erase that one out of your memory," I laughed with her. "How are you doing? Being a pain?"  
  
"Always," she nodded. She looked past me and jumped right for Shane's arms. He laughed as he swung her in a circle. She giggled as he stopped and held onto her.  
  
"Hi kiddo," Shane smiled.  
  
"Hi Shane," she blushed. I shook my head as I crossed my arms. "How come you're here and not Jeff?"  
  
"Oh, um, well," Shane stuttered setting her down on the floor.  
  
"Casey!" Sara exclaimed as her 9 month pregnant body waddled towards us. I wrapped my arms around her as best as possible.  
  
"How are you feeling?" I questioned.  
  
"Oh not bad. But I have to be honest with you, the sooner Benjamin Marcus leaves my body, the better," Sara smiled. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm alright. A little bit of pain but nothing that I can't live through," I shrugged.  
  
"I'm glad you guys are here. It's been awhile," she said.  
  
"Yeah, ya know how it is with schedules and stuff," I said.  
  
"Darlin!" He picked me up tightly in his large arms and kissed my cheek before setting me back on the floor. "I missed you sweetie."  
  
"I missed you too Daddy," I smiled.  
  
"Shane, what are you doing here?" Dad asked as he shook Shane's hand. Shane quickly drew back his hand and smiled up at the large older man.  
  
"Yeah, um, Shane and I have some stuff to discuss with the two of you," I bit on my lip.  
  
"Oh no, that's never good," Dad sighed. "What is it?"  
  
"Can we do this later maybe? I'd rather talk about this when K isn't around," I whispered.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Daddy, you're gonna have some strong words that you may not be able to keep from saying. And I'd rather her not hear them. Besides," I said finishing in a whisper. "I think she has a crush on Shane."  
  
"And this has to do with you and Shane?" he whispered in response as he leaned down to my level. I nodded and he rubbed his face, letting out another sigh. "Alright, K, sweetie, the four of us need to discuss something. Can you go up to your room and play? We'll call you when it's time for Summerslam."  
  
"Okay Daddy," Kalista smiled walking up the stairs towards her room.  
  
"Let's go into the living room," Sara smiled as she led the way. Shane and I sat in the black leather love seat as Sara and Dad sat on the matching couch.  
  
"Can I just ask a question before we start all this?" Dad asked. I shrugged and nodded. "Where's Jeff?"  
  
"Yeah, I was kinda wondering that too. Is he busy with his music?" Sara questioned.  
  
"No, I don't think so. But then again, I really wouldn't know," I replied.  
  
"Oh?" Dad asked crossing his arms.  
  
"That has to do with all this too. You see, Jeff and I broke up, like 6 months or so ago. He, um, he fell in love with his ex-girlfriend," I explained.  
  
"He hurt you?!" Dad exclaimed angrily.  
  
"No, Daddy, not really. No more than I've ever hurt him. They always did say pay back's a bitch. And it's the truth."  
  
"What happened? I figured you two would be getting married," Sara said rubbing her large stomach.  
  
"It just wasn't meant to be. He wanted someone and something different. So that nite I stayed at a hotel, found an apartment the next day in Raleigh, and moved in. I've been living there since."  
  
"Sweetie, why didn't you come live with us?"  
  
"Daddy, I'm 25, almost 26. I think it's about time I depended on myself, don't you think? That's why I moved away from the Hardys. I needed to be independent. And I was, for the first 4 months anyways." I took a deep breath and Shane took my hand in his. "My residence is about to change the next time I'm home for more than a day."  
  
"Where are you moving?" Dad asked.  
  
"I'm moving in with Shane," I replied.  
  
"What about Shannon? Aren't you two getting married? I thought that's what Torrie told me," Sara said.  
  
"We were. She broke up with me. In fact it was the same nite Case and Jeff split," Shane answered. "Things just went wrong. I didn't love her the way I should have anyways. My love for Shannon wasn't as deep as my love for someone else is." Shane smiled and slipped an arm around my shoulders.  
  
"I think it's about time ya'll got to the point. Don't you think so Sara?" Dad questioned, a fierce look in his eyes. Shane's smile faded and his arm retracted back to his side.  
  
"The point is, Shane and I found each other, again. We became close again. Best friends. But one nite, I just, I don't what was going through my mind. But I knew what I was doing, deep down, was the right thing. So I went to his hotel room and shocked him and even myself, by asking him to marry me. So, you're looking at Shane and Casey Helms. Two very in love people," I smiled.  
  
Dad laughed, not bothering to look at mine or Shane's faces. Sara took a deep breath in shock and smiled at us. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed beckoning us to hug her.  
  
"Thanks Sara," Shane said.  
  
"Honey, you do know this is a prank, right? I mean you're talking to the queen of pranks!" Dad laughed.  
  
"Daddy, this isn't a joke. Shane and I really are married. Have been for 2 months."  
  
"You're fucking kidding!" he yelled standing up straight, his fists balled up tightly.  
  
"Honey, calm down," Sara tried to sooth her husband.  
  
"How can I calm down when my daughter has just told me this news!? She's been married for 2 months and hasn't had the audacity to tell me?! And I bet this was all your idea, wasn't it Shane?!" he yelled pulling Shane to his feet by the collar of his shirt.  
  
"No, sir, I did no such thing!" Shane exclaimed.  
  
"Daddy! Let him go!" I screamed pulling on his arms.  
  
"I swear if you ever hurt her, I'll kill you!" he threatened Shane throwing him down on the couch.  
  
"Mark! Calm down!" Sara yelled before leaning on the couch for support and holding her stomach. "Shit."  
  
"Sara?!" Shane exclaimed as Dad and I raced to her side.  
  
"I think it's time," she said breathing deeply.  
  
"Oh God," Dad said worriedly.  
  
"Shane, the number for the hospital is on the phone. Call them," I ordered. He stood quickly and raced off. "Daddy, you take Sara to the hospital now."  
  
"But K," he said.  
  
"Shane and I will follow with K in a bit. We'll bring Sara's stuff with us. Now go!" I persisted. Daddy smiled and nodded before helping Sara out of the house.  
  
"Alright, now what?" Shane asked.  
  
"You called the hospital?" I asked.  
  
"Yes, it's done. What do we do now?"  
  
"K," I sighed. "This will give us sometime to talk to her. I think she may have a crush on you."  
  
"Well, unfortunately for her, I'm only in love with one Callaway girl," he smiled, kissing my cheek. I smiled and started for the stairs. I knocked on her door and walked in.  
  
"Were you guys fighting?" K asked.  
  
"A little bit. But it's over now. Mommy is on her way to the hospital. You're going to be a big sister in a little while," I told her. Her face lit up with joy and she ran into my arms. I picked her up and carried her down the stairs.  
  
"Is Mommy going to be alright?" K asked.  
  
"She's going to be great. Daddy is right there with her. And we'll be there shortly, okay?" She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. Shane stood in the entrance way with Sara's hospital bag in his hands.  
  
"Ready?" he asked.  
  
"Yep, let's go," I smiled.  
  
The only thing keeping the car from being completely silent was the radio on softly. I cautiously turned myself around in my seat and looked back at Kalista. She sat still, looking out the window as Shane drove us down the road.  
  
"K, I have something to tell you," I stated.  
  
"Are you and Shane getting married?" she asked, shocking me and Shane.  
  
"Getting? No. Are? Yes," I laughed.  
  
"What?" she asked sounding confused.  
  
"Shane and I are already married. That's why Daddy was fighting with us. He was mad that we got married without him knowing," I explained.  
  
"So you're my brother, right?" she asked.  
  
"That's right, kid," Shane smiled.  
  
"Hmm," she thought aloud. "I guess that could work."  
  
I chuckled. "I'm glad to hear you approve."  
  
********  
  
I watched from a seat in the living room, as Shane and K played with toys on the floor. Dad was in the surgery room with Sara, as she was having a C-section. He decided to brave it this time. They'd been in there for a while. I yawned and drummed my fingers on the arm of the chair. I glanced at my watch and realized we had missed SummerSlam.  
  
"Should it be taking this long?" Shane asked.  
  
"I don't know. I hope so," I replied.  
  
"Shane, come play with me!" K ordered. Shane laughed and quickly ran to K, sliding on the floor, causing her to laugh. I laughed at them as they seemed to be having the most fun anyone could have in a hospital waiting room.  
  
"Well, it's a boy!" Dad announced running towards us in his scrubs.  
  
"Well DUH!" I laughed. "How are they?"  
  
"Benjamin is a healthy baby boy weighing in at 7 lbs, 9 oz. Sara's holding him right now. She's fine too," he smiled proudly.  
  
"Daddy!!" K exclaimed running to her father.  
  
"Hi sweetie. Having fun playing with Shane?" he asked.  
  
"Uh-huh. Don't be mad at them, okay? They love each other. And I like Shane," K pouted.  
  
"Don't give me that pout Kalista," Dad scolded.  
  
"I invented that pout," I replied proudly to Shane.  
  
"I know," Shane and Dad replied together with a similar roll of the eyes.  
  
"Whoa, scary," K and I said as we glanced at each other.  
  
"Do you wanna see Sara and the baby or not?" Dad asked holding K in his arms. We all nodded at him and he led the way to her room.  
  
"Hi everyone," Sara smiled tiredly as Ben slept in her arms.  
  
"Hi Benny, I'm your big sister, Casey," I smiled as she handed him over to me.  
  
"Don't be callin my son Benny," Dad said.  
  
"But he's so cute!" I cried out in a baby voice.  
  
"Casey," he growled.  
  
"Fine. Ben, I'm your big sister," I smiled down at him and whispered, "I'll be callin you Benny when Daddy's not around."  
  
I tried to hand him to Shane, but he was reluctant. "I don't know," he said.  
  
"Shane, you're his brother in law. Take him," I said. Shane said and took the baby carefully in his arms. Ben relaxed happily. "See, he likes you."  
  
"Yeah, he does," Shane smiled.  
  
**********  
  
"Why couldn't I stay with Mommy and Daddy?" K yawned as I tucked her into bed.  
  
"Because it's WAY past your bed time. And mommy needs to sleep. She needs rest."  
  
"But I could help with Ben!"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure you'd be great help, but the hospital will take great care of Ben. And you'll have plenty of time to take care of him when he and mommy comes home on Tuesday."  
  
"Casey," K said as I started walking towards the door.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I really like Shane. And I'm glad you two are married. But I don't want you to forget about me," she said softly.  
  
"Oh K, I would never forget about my baby sister. I love you too much," I smiled kissing her cheek. "Goodnite sweetie. See you in the morning."  
  
"Nite Case," she yawned as I closed the door behind me. I walked down the hall into the spare room, where Shane was already in bed and watching tv.  
  
"Well, it's been one fun filled day, huh?" Shane smiled as I rested my head on his chest.  
  
"Oh yes, so fun," I replied sarcastically.  
  
"Casey, I want kids," Shane said. "I know we've already discussed this, but I want to discuss it more. I'm 35. I'm not getting any younger. I just want some kids that I can play with. When can we start trying?"  
  
"Shane, I'm so scared of losing another baby. I couldn't handle that. I know it," I replied.  
  
"I know, but you wouldn't lose it. I wouldn't let you," he smiled.  
  
"Shane, I want to have kids too. I just don't know when. I have a few years left to wrestling still. I don't know if I want a kid yet."  
  
"But what about me? Do you not care that I want one?"  
  
"Shane, I know you do. And like I said, I want one eventually, but what about my career?"  
  
"So we have a baby, wait a year or so, and then you go back to work for a few years. And then we have another one."  
  
"2?" I questioned.  
  
"1, 2, 3, 40, I really couldn't care about the number of children."  
  
"How many would you like?"  
  
"2, at least."  
  
"Alright," I gave in.  
  
"Alright?" he repeated.  
  
"Yeah, alright. We'll start trying. As soon as possible," I smiled.  
  
"I love you Casey."  
  
"I love you too Shane," I sighed unsurely.  
  
***********  
  
"I really hated to leave them," I sighed as we drove on the highway towards Albuquerque for a Smackdown taping, my return.  
  
"I know, but they're fine," Shane smiled.  
  
"But still. I feel like they could use my help."  
  
"It's nothing Sara and Mark haven't been through before. Besides, now they have an extra pair of hands around the house."  
  
"My knee should be fine right? Like I shouldn't have anymore problems, right?"  
  
"I wouldn't think you'd have anymore problems. You should be fine. Why?"  
  
"Because I'm scared something will rip or pop or something tonite."  
  
"Nah, I'm sure it'll be fine. Just wear that great brace they gave you."  
  
"Oh God, that horrific contraption!" I laughed. "Have you looked at it!? It's got like 50 million hooks and straps!"  
  
"That's how you know it's a good one," Shane laughed with me. "You haven't heard anything about them firing me, have you?"  
  
"Oh God no! Why? They're not, right?"  
  
"I don't know. I haven't been really used in so long. I'm afraid that they've given up on trying to find good storylines for me."  
  
"Shane, you're such an awesome talent. There's no way that they could get rid of you now. I'm sure you'll be around a long time. You're still considered an upper mid-carder. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Yeah, so says the girl who's got a match every week," Shane smiled sarcastically.  
  
"I can't help it if everyone loves me," I replied with a large smiled.  
  
It was early in the afternoon when we arrived at the arena. We had a bit of time to spare, so Shane and I went and found a gym to work out. When we returned to the arena, we stopped off in catering to grab a sandwich and some water. The second we walked in, a large group of our friends scattered to different tables. I glanced at Shane with a questioning look and he just shrugged.  
  
"Welcome back," Trish smiled as she walked up to greet us. "How's the knee?"  
  
"Not bad. I'm doin alright. Just need to wear a brace now," I replied pointing to the contraption on my knee. "Isn't it beautiful?!"  
  
"Just gorgeous!" she laughed. "At least it's easy to hide under those big jeans."  
  
"Very true," I smiled. "So what's goin on around here?"  
  
"Well, there's a rumor that we're getting a new wrestler in a couple months or so. But he's not new, new. He's been here before, I guess he was here for awhile. But no one knows who it is. All we know is that it's a guy," Trish answered crossing her arms.  
  
"Oh really? That's odd, isn't it?" Shane asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah, I guess it's pretty hush, hush, cause Vince doesn't want the fans to know. So he figures if one of us knows, it'll get leaked to the public. So we won't know who it is until the day he arrives," she said. "But I hear that you're going to be involved in a storyline with him."  
  
"Me?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah. Well, you, Amy, Matt Cappotelli, Shannon, and probably Sean," she answered.  
  
"So what are we all going to be like another Team Extreme, or Evolution, or DX or something?" I questioned.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I hear," Trish said.  
  
"And no one knows who it is?" I asked. She shook her head no in response. "Hmm, that's quite interesting, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, Matt and I kinda think it may be Marc, or Scott," Trish said.  
  
"Raven?" Shane asked.  
  
"Yeah, either him or Bubba. But we're not taking bets," Trish sighed. "I guess there's going to be like a feud between your group and another group. And Evolution like group. I'm hearing it'd be me, Victoria, Chris, Jay, Paul, and Randy. Plus the McMahon siblings will be feuding. So we'll have Steph and you'll have Shane-O. But that's just a rumor."  
  
"I miss Bubba," I pouted.  
  
"Yeah, he was great, wasn't he?" Trish laughed. "So, Torrie told us that Sara had a baby boy Sunday nite."  
  
"Yep, Benjamin Marcus Callaway," I smiled. "He's so cute!"  
  
"Awe, a little Benny Callaway," Trish laughed.  
  
"Don't let Mark catch you saying that," Shane laughed.  
  
"So, um, does he know about the marriage?"  
  
"Yeah, we told him. He tried killing me," Shane rubbed his neck.  
  
"Oh no, it went badly?"  
  
"Just slightly," I nodded.  
  
"But as you can see, all turned out fine. Cause he's still here," I nodded at Shane.  
  
"Damn," Trish snapped her fingers.  
  
"Nice, real nice," Shane growled playfully at us before walking away to join Matt and Shannon at a table.  
  
"Trish, the baby subject came up again on Sunday nite," I said as I followed her to a table where Chris and Nora sat.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, I gave in. I guess we're gonna start trying to have a kid."  
  
"You don't sound too impressed though."  
  
"I'm scared. I'm too young to be thinking bout kids, aren't I?"  
  
"No, I don't think so. Not really anyways," Trish said. "Maybe it's better to have kids when you're younger anyways. You can relate to them better."  
  
"Mmm, maybe, but it's still just, I don't know."  
  
"You enjoy being around everyone else's kid, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, just think of this as someone else's baby, only in your body," Trish laughed. "Although that doesn't make much sense."  
  
"Not at all. This proves why you're blonde," I joked.  
  
"Oh thanks!" 


	28. Mysteries Unveiled

A/N: Alright, so are ya'll ready for the surprise comeback? Lol Well, you don't have to wait any longer. The song used in this chapter is "Nowhere Kids" (and yes, I know, the way I did it, would have made it too long for it to be done in reality) by Smile Empty Soul, who I absolutely love. So if you get a chance, go get their album. It's totally kick asshis. The other song is "Forfeit" by Chevelle. Holy freakin GOD do I love those boys! SO hot. And incredibly talented. I've been like addicted to their CD since I got it at Christmas. The next chapter will be the surprise wedding. So be prepared for a fairly lengthy chapter. It'll probably take me awhile to do that one, so I'm hoping by next Wednesday to have that one out. OH OH OH!!! Lol Guess what?! I have filled up my 9th computer disk!!! So imagine how many chapters I've written in all my stories...whoa..OH!! I have to share with ya'll some massively weird dreams I've been havin bout a certain Jeffrey Nero Hardy. I've been havin them for like the past 3 nites. And they're all pretty much the same. They all have him coming back into the WWE. But he's not the Jeff Hardy we know. He's playing that Lokey character (or whatever the hell his name is lol) that he was in the Leap of Faith video. That one that makes him look like a really cheesy car salesman. I tried explaining it to Lindsay, but she didn't seem to understand who I was talking bout. But anyways, he has his hair bout shoulder length, and styled how HBK normally has it, in the ponytail. Well, the ponytail part is streaked yellow and the bottom part is dyed purple. It's really weird. The first part of this chapter is going to be done normally. The last part...um, second to the last part, is going to be done a different way. I'm going to try my hand at write a RAW episode. Eeep..lol Anyways, this was way too long so here's the chapter. Lol  
  
***********  
  
"Finally we get to meet this mystery guy," I said to Shane as we walked through the arena early Monday morning.  
  
"I can't believe this meeting had to be so early," Shane yawned glancing at his watch, which read 7 am.  
  
"Sweetie, if we didn't, we wouldn't have time to get the storylines put together. Besides, you didn't have to come with me. You could have gone to the hotel or something," I replied.  
  
"I know, but I'm just as curious as you are about this dude," he said. He kissed me and walked towards the soda machine, leaving me in front of the makeshift McMahon office.  
  
"Alright, so who's this, oh my God," I said glancing at the new addition sitting on the couch next to Sean and Shannon. "No way."  
  
"Yeah, I'm back," he smiled. I shook my head and crossed my arms as Amy motioned for me to take a seat on the arm of her chair. "Hey Case."  
  
"This is a prank, right? Paul's gonna jump out and say GOTCHA!" I grinned hopefully.  
  
"No Case, he's truly back," Shannon replied.  
  
"I know what's goin on here. I'm dreaming. This is all some sort of bad dream and I'll wake up at any moment. Just someone throw some water on me," I requested as water was poured on my head. I stood up quickly dripping with water as Paul smiled with an empty water bottle in his hand. "You ass."  
  
"Hey, you asked for it," he replied.  
  
"Paul, sit down!" Stephanie ordered. "Listen, Casey, you're going to have to get over this. Because we have a lot of ideas for you all."  
  
"Do any of these ideas involve me beating him with a pointy stick?" I questioned giving him an evil look.  
  
"Hey, what the hell is your problem Casey?" he snapped.  
  
"You!" I yelled.  
  
"Calm down!" Steph growled. "You all have been picked to be in a faction led by my brother. I've already met with my faction last nite. We want to do an Outsider type storyline. You're all going to be the "greasers" and my group with be the "socials"."  
  
"Why?" Sean asked.  
  
"We picked a group of people that would be considered the outsiders if they were say in high school. You guys happen to fit that profile. I mean Casey and Jeff with their weird styles and hair. Sean with your bad boy alternative edge. Matt with your out of this world flair. Shannon with your adorable, shy, artsy, edgy style. And Amy with your punk alternative clothes and personality. Some how you all just fit and you all fit together," Paul explained.  
  
"Who's in the other one?" Shannon asked.  
  
"Myself, Paul, Chris, Jay, Randy, Trish, and Victoria," Steph smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry, but this all sounds stupid," I said.  
  
"The only reason you think this is stupid is because I'm your partner," Jeff smiled.  
  
"My partner?! He's going to be my partner too?!" I exclaimed.  
  
Stephanie and Paul exchanged looks and sighed. "Yes, we figured that we'd partner you two up again. You'd be the tag team in the group," Steph said.  
  
"No," I said crossing my arms.  
  
"No?" Paul questioned.  
  
"Ddddid I stutter?" I remarked.  
  
"Cool it!" Stephanie yelled.  
  
"Case, just give this all a chance. You and Jeff have worked out your problems before. This won't be any different," Amy whispered to me. I nodded and relaxed on the arm of her chair.  
  
"Fine," I growled.  
  
"So how is this all going to work?" Amy asked. Steph smiled and began explaining everything to us.  
  
After the meeting, I met up with Shane in catering as they were setting up. He was arguing with the guy setting up the food to give him a simple chicken sandwich, but he refused because it wasn't lunch time. I walked up to Shane and wrapped my arms around his neck.  
  
"What's this for?" he asked though he smiled and happily pulled me into his body.  
  
"Can we get out of here for awhile?" I asked resting my head on his chest.  
  
"As long as I can get some food, sure," he agreed holding me by the waist and walking me out of the building.  
  
*********  
  
"Alright, so why'd you want to leave like that?" Shane asked as he munched on his whopper.  
  
I sighed, stealing a fry off his try before sipping on my chocolate shake. "I didn't want to be anyplace where he might be," I answered.  
  
"He? He who?"  
  
"Our mystery man."  
  
"And he'd be who?"  
  
"Jeff Hardy."  
  
"JEFF?!" Shane exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, he's apparently back, but I don't know why."  
  
"So you're gonna be stuck in a storyline together?"  
  
"Yep," I replied giving off a sarcastic smile.  
  
"I'm sorry sweetie. Although I'm slightly confused as to why you're so angry. You were the one who was so upset when you had thought he'd died," Shane said.  
  
"Just because I don't want him dead, doesn't mean I'm not pissed at him."  
  
Shane and I finished at the Burger King and made it back to the arena when the other superstars were arriving. The second I walked in, I saw Jeff standing in the hall, drinking some water. I took Shane's hand and we started walking by him.  
  
"Casey," he said. "Can we talk?"  
  
I looked up at Shane, hoping he'd say no and make up some excuse why. But instead he kissed my cheek and whispered, "Please make peace with him." He nodded at Jeff and entered the locker room.  
  
"What'd you want to talk about?" I asked folding my arms over my chest.  
  
"You, me, us, Shane, everything," he chuckled uncomfortably.  
  
"Well, there is no "us". I don't want to talk about you. Shane is off subject. And I don't think there's anything you need to know about me. So I'd say we're about through here," I smirked.  
  
"Casey, I'm serious," he sighed pushing his hair behind his ears.  
  
I sighed and looked down at the floor. "Why were you coming to see me?" I asked.  
  
"What?" he asked shocked.  
  
I looked up and tilted my head. "Why were you on your way to my apartment to see me?"  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I was having my surgery that day. So while I was knocked out I had a dream about you. You were on your way to come see me to talk to me. I saw you fight with Beth. I saw you go to sleep. I saw you dreaming. What you were dreaming, I don't know, but I saw you toss and turn and speak in your sleep. I saw you get up, run down the stairs, and jump on your motorcycle. I watched you go right off the road and into the ditch," I explained starting to tear up. "I woke up and I just had this horrible feeling that you were hurt. I had Shane call your home phone and your cell phone. And when you didn't answer your cell, I knew there was something really wrong. So I tried to convince him to go find you. And then the doctors ran down the hall with a guy on a stretcher. And they were calling out all of the guy's stats that would have fit you. I had Shane run after them and they pronounced the guy dead. And I was so scared. Turns out it was someone else and you were getting taken care of at a smaller hospital because you weren't too bad off."  
  
"That's amazing. You were like connected into me through your dream," he smiled.  
  
"Yeah, well, you know I'm weird like that," I shrugged.  
  
"So you were worried about me?" Jeff questioned.  
  
"Well I'm not heartless Jeff. Of course I was worried about you. No matter what happens, I'm always going to love you," I said shaking my head at him.  
  
"I know you're not heartless, but if I had been in your position, I probably wouldn't have been so worried."  
  
"Well, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm alright. I had to get a few stitches. I had some gashes and bruises. But nothing too serious," he said giving me an infectious small smile. "You know me, bikes can't and won't ever keep me down."  
  
"True. I should have told you about Shane and I."  
  
"No, you were in the right. I shouldn't have gone off the edge like I did that day. There really was no reason for you to tell me. We broke up. We stopped speaking. It's alright, don't apologize. As long as you're happy and in love, that's great."  
  
"I am happy. And I've always loved Shane."  
  
"I know. That was something we couldn't get over. How in the hell did we get in that love triangle?" he laughed.  
  
"Blame it on the fates, I guess," I replied.  
  
"Casey, I want things to get back to the way they were when we first met. I went everything to be simple and happy and fun. I don't want this love shit to stop us from being friends."  
  
"Jeff, that's going to be so hard. I don't know if I can forget about all that happened."  
  
"Then here. Let's just stop. Let's start all over again," he smiled.  
  
"Excuse me?" I asked curiously. He extended his hand and shook mine.  
  
"Hi, I'm Jeff Hardy," he said.  
  
"What?" I laughed.  
  
"I'm Jeff Hardy. And you are?"  
  
"Confused," I admitted.  
  
"Nice to meet you Confused. That's an interesting name," he laughed.  
  
I rolled my eyes and smiled, "No, my name is Casey Helms."  
  
"Oh, Shane Helms' wife?"  
  
"Yeah, we recently got married."  
  
"That's great. Congratulations."  
  
"Alright, Jeff, I get the point. I'm with ya," I smiled.  
  
"Put the past aside?"  
  
"Past? What past?"  
  
"Good girl," he joked. "I just have one question."  
  
"Okay, shoot."  
  
"What the hell is goin on with Shane's hair?" he asked causing me to laugh.  
  
"He's growing it out again. Thinks it makes him look all macho," I answered.  
  
"No, just makes him look like a pretty boy with weird hair," Jeff laughed as we, together, walked into catering.  
  
*************  
  
"Welcome to tonite's edition of Monday nite RAW!" JR announced. "It's sure to be one hell of a nite."  
  
"It'll be interesting to see if Stephanie McMahon has something in store for her brother and GM of Raw, Shane McMahon, tonite. They've been battling back and forth for the past few weeks now," King added.  
  
"That's true King," JR said. "Tonite we'll have Matt Morgan versus Brock Lesnar for the Undisputed Championship. We'll see if Brock can hold onto his championship."  
  
"That's going to be, what you would call, one hell of a slobber knocker," King said.  
  
"And this is an excellent start to the nite. Rob Van Dam versus Chris Benoit," JR said.  
  
"This feud has been going on for sometime now. Maybe this match will solve their problems," King said.  
  
"And a spinning heel kick by RVD and Benoit is down," JR said. "And Benoit kicks out."  
  
"What I want to know is what Mystic Angel has planned to get back at Randy Orton for making her lose her hardcore title to Baby," King said.  
  
"No doubt she'll go after Baby to get her title back. I'd say she's the undisputed Hardcore champion," JR said. "And a suplex by Benoit."  
  
"I like that sound of that. Two hot divas going one on one, hardcore," King laughed.  
  
"And Van Dam is going up to the top rope," JR said. "Beautiful frog splash and the pin!"  
  
"Here is your winner, ROB..VAN..DAM!!!"  
  
"Van Dam has won another match with the help of his educated feet," JR commented.  
  
"Shane, I want a match with Randy Orton," I demanded as I stormed into Shane's office.  
  
"I can't do it Angel," he shook his head.  
  
"Well why not?! You're the GM of this show, act like one!" I yelled leaning on the desk.  
  
"Angel, he's already booked for a match against Test Thursday nite," Shane sighed.  
  
"Well Shane, that's Thursday nite. I'm talking about tonite," I said.  
  
"You know the rules. If he's got a match for Smackdown, he can't have one for RAW too. I'm sorry," Shane said.  
  
"Rules were meant to be broken!"  
  
"Not these rules," Shane said. "Look, how about I give you a match for the Hardcore title against Baby?"  
  
"No, I want Randy," I growled.  
  
"Alright, here, I'll sign a match for next Monday nite. You versus Randy Orton. Happy?" Shane questioned.  
  
"Make it for his Intercontinental title, and we've got a deal," I smiled. He nodded and I walked out of the office.  
  
"Looks like Randy may lose his title next week on RAW," JR said.  
  
"Man what I would do to be in Randy's shoes next week," King laughed.  
  
"I wouldn't want to be anyplace near his shoes. She's one hell of a woman," JR said.  
  
"That's right, she is one hell of a woman..to be pinned by," King laughed.  
  
"King, calm your hormones as this match gets underway. Edge versus his brother Christian," JR said.  
  
The match went on, Edge coming out victorious and they went to a commercial.  
  
"Listen Barbie doll, you ever touch my stuff again, I'll rip out your hair!" Lita threatened ripping her duffle bag out of Trish's hands.  
  
"Keep your stuff off my bench," Trish snapped.  
  
"I'll put my stuff where ever the hell I please!" Lita cried.  
  
"Oh get a new wardrobe Lita," Trish scuffed as started taking things out of her own bag.  
  
"Get a brain," Lita remarked hitting Trish in the head with her duffle bag. Trish snapped up and lunged at Lita, only to be pulled back by Sean O' Haire.  
  
"Hey, what's goin on in here?" he asked.  
  
"Get your greasy hands off me!" Trish demanded. Sean chuckled and let her go. "What the hell are you doing in here anyways?"  
  
"I have a message for Lita," he said. "Damn, what's your problem?"  
  
"All you freaks are my problem!" Trish said.  
  
"Oh right, freaks," Lita rolled her eyes.  
  
"Maybe you should go find a new locker room. And take Mystic Angel's crap with you too," Trish said.  
  
"I will. But not because you want us to leave, but because if I don't, I'll kill you," Lita said.  
  
"Oh right, what are you going to do, gang up on me with your freakish outcast friends?"  
  
"Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me," Sean muttered.  
  
"And you! You need to leave! This is the women's locker room. Or did you have a sex change I'm unaware of?" Trish questioned.  
  
"Take a pill," Sean said helping Lita with her stuff before they left.  
  
"Oh, Trish, next Monday nite, you and me for that precious women's title of yours!" Lita said before slamming the door shut behind her.  
  
"I though Lita was going to rip Trish apart," JR remarked as Shannon started walking down the ramp.  
  
"Trish doesn't need that kind of abuse. She's too hot," King smiled.  
  
"I don't think Lita cares what Trish looks like. But they're not the only two people tonite to be having a falling out," JR said. "Officials just had to pull apart this young man, Shannon Moore, and his opponent Chris Jericho."  
  
"Who cares about them?! I just want to make sure Trish is okay," King said.  
  
"She seemed perfectly fine to me, King."  
  
"Well of course she's fine, but if she's injured she needs someone to take care of her. Like me," King beamed as the match started.  
  
"I'm sure Trish is unharmed," JR assured him. "And a baseball slide by Jericho. Moore is down."  
  
The match continued, Jericho coming out on top as the winner. "What the hell is Matt Cappotelli doing out here?!" JR yelled as Matt ran down the ramp to help out Shannon, as Jericho started to attack him.  
  
"Is that Triple H?!" King exclaimed as Randy ran down to aid Jericho.  
  
"Folks, all hell has just broken loose, as Sean O' Haire, Lita, Victoria, and Trish have all found sides. It seems to be a war in the middle of this ring tonite!" JR yelled as they went to commercial.  
  
"Well folks, officials broke up the fight moments after we went to commercial. If you take a look at what happened during the break, you'll notice that they seemed to have split right down the middle. With Triple H, Victoria, Trish, Chris Jericho, and apparently Christian have joined sides to go against Lita, Sean O' Haire, Matt Cappotelli, and Shannon Moore. My question is why did all this happen?" JR said.  
  
"Puppies JR. Puppies!" King said with excitement as Trish made her way to the ring with Victoria next to her.  
  
"Well Lita seems to be alone tonite," JR said. "And doesn't seem to be wasting any time by attacking Trish immediately as this title match gets underway." Victoria interfered not too far into the match to allow Trish to keep the title.  
  
"Oh my God, no way," I smiled as I walked towards a figure in the hall.  
  
"Hey Angel," he spoke softly as we embraced in a hug.  
  
"Jeff, it's been so long," I sighed.  
  
"I know," he nodded.  
  
"Visiting?" I questioned.  
  
"No, actually, I'm here to stay," he smiled at me, his green eyes sparkling under the bright fluorescent lights.  
  
"Well, in that case, welcome back," I said laying a kiss on his lips.  
  
"Am I dreaming?! Mystic Angel and Jeff Hardy back together again?!" King exclaimed.  
  
"Looks that way. This will be interesting to see Jeff Hardy getting back into the swing of things. As he hasn't been here for quite sometime," JR remarked. "We'll have to see if he's rusty in anyway."  
  
'FORFEIT!!!!  
  
Will not be shaken,  
  
And jump into this,  
  
And be persuasive, just carry on.  
  
Make my mind up, to go through this,  
  
Or be firm and sit in silence.  
  
I walked out and stood at the top of the ramp. A small smile on my face.  
  
Cause I want to fight,  
  
I want to fight,  
  
I want to prove I'm right.  
  
I want to fight,  
  
I want to fight,  
  
So turn and forfeit.'  
  
I jumped up and pyro shot up from the stage. I mouthed "forfeit" along with my music and walked down the ramp.  
  
'Learn from this,  
  
Prehistoric dance and  
  
Refrain from talking,  
  
Solves our problems.  
  
I slid into the ring and saluted everyone from the turnbuckles. Making sure that I had everyone's attention.  
  
Medicated, could do some good,  
  
Or find a way to relate,  
  
Or just shut up.'  
  
I took the microphone in that I held in my hand and brought it up to my mouth as the music stopped.  
  
"I just came out here to personally tell Randy Orton that he'll be in a match with me next week, right here on RAW!" I exclaimed as the crowd cheered. "Not only that, but he'd better bring his 'A' game or he'll never be able to keep up with me and if that be the case than he should, like my song says, 'forfeit', his title to me. I plan to work him like that ass he truly is. He thinks he knows the meaning of hardcore. But he hasn't a clue what it truly means till he steps in the ring with me." Stephanie McMahon's music went off and the bitch herself walked out hold a mic of her own. She walked down the ramp and climbed into the ring, standing in front of me, she put on a false smile.  
  
"Angel, you're looking good tonite," Stephanie complimented me.  
  
"Cut the crap Steph. What do you want?" I asked harshly.  
  
"Please be respectful to your employer, Mystic Angel. I know my brother lets the lot of you run a muck around here, but I'm not going to tolerate that," she snapped.  
  
"You have no control over me, MISS McMahon." A sarcastic smile stretching across my face. "Get to the point and tell me why you decided you'd come out here and interrupt me."  
  
"I just thought you might want to know that you have no match against Randy Orton next week for the Intercontinental title," she replied, getting a response of boos and 'bitch' chants from the crowd.  
  
"And why's that?" I asked curiously. "Cause I saw Shane sign the match himself."  
  
"Randy was signed to a match against Rey Mysterio for next week on Smackdown abut the same time my brother decided he'd give in to your demands," Stephanie explained.  
  
"Then you cancel that match," I smiled.  
  
"No, yours has been canceled. You'll have to go fight someone else," Stephanie said walking towards the ropes. "Oh, and Angel, have a good nite." I glared at her as she exited the ring and walked up the ramp, a sick smirk on her face.  
  
"Angel can't be happy with this news," JR said. "We're going to take a quick break folks."  
  
"Stephanie, get your big money grubbing ass out here!" Shane demanded as he stood in the middle of the ring.  
  
"Yes big brother?" she said as she walked down the ramp with a smile on her face.  
  
"Who the hell told you that you could sign Randy Orton to a match?!" he bellowed.  
  
"I did," she said quickly un-phased by his yelling.  
  
"You're going to unsign that match. And Angel will get her match signed!" Shane demanded.  
  
"No," she smiled.  
  
"You're a bitch, ya know that?"  
  
"So I've been told," she smirked as the audience broke into 'bitch' chants.  
  
"How is it, that no matter what I do, you have to show me up in some way?" he asked getting closer to her.  
  
"It's not hard to do when I have you for a brother," she replied. He glared at her and slapped her, like she's done to him and many others time and time before.  
  
"Well it's about time he gave her what she deserves!" King exclaimed.  
  
"Now I don't condone the hitting of women, but even I admit that she deserved that," JR added. It wasn't long after the slap before the ring started to fill with Stephanie's supporters. "Can you believe them?! They're turning against Shane O'Mac on his own show!"  
  
"We've got Randy, Triple H, Victoria, Trish, Jericho, and Christian out there! Why do they care what happens to her?" King laughed as they started to close in on Shane.  
  
"If you lay one hand on me, I'll fire you all!" Shane yelled as the microphone was dropped to the mat. Fist flew and Shane was cowering in the corner. The crowd booed and I led the group out to rescue Shane.  
  
"What the hell is this?! Mystic Angel, Lita, Shannon Moore, Sean O' Haire, Matt Cappotelli, AND JEFF HARDY!!!" JR yelled as we all slid into the ring and pulled each one of Stephanie's supporters off of Shane. It wasn't long before officials were there to pull us apart. There we all stood in the ring, it seemed as if an invisible wall was splitting the two sides. "In all my years of being an announcer, this has never happened."  
  
"It's like Moses splitting the sea!" King added.  
  
"Tonite, we will not have the match of Brock Lesnar and Matt Morgan," Shane glared at Stephanie, though blood trickled down his face. "Instead there will be a 12-man elimination tornado tag match."  
  
"Yeah, the Nowhere Kids, versus.." I spoke trailing off.  
  
"Evolution," Triple H growled as they went to a commercial.  
  
"In every generation, there is a group of kids that seemed to grow up on the wrong side of tracks," Shane spoke over the PA.  
  
"Not knowing who they were," Jeff said.  
  
"Where they were going," I said.  
  
"Why they were there," Lita said.  
  
"The only thing they knew," Sean said.  
  
"Was that they had each other," Shannon said.  
  
"And you hate us, but you're the one's that made us," Matt said.  
  
"We are the Nowhere Kids," we said in unison.  
  
'we are the people that you hate  
  
we are the bastards that you created  
  
a generation with no place  
  
a generation of all your sons and daughters'  
  
We walked out together as a group. Shane walked slightly ahead of us.  
  
'behind the fake family image  
  
behind the smile of a thousand moms and dads  
  
inside the cage that we've been given  
  
I see an image of the future that we don't have'  
  
"And entering the ring, led by Shane McMahon. The NOWHERE KIDS!!!" Lilian announced us as we all slid in together at each side of the ring.  
  
'and what did you expect....a perfect child  
  
raised by tv sets....abandoned every mile  
  
we never get respect....never a fair trial  
  
no one gives a shit....as long as we smile'  
  
Stephanie and Shane stood outside of the ring as we inside of it had a stare off.  
  
"Well, folks, you're about to witness a match to go down in history," JR said.  
  
"It's so quiet in there. You have to wonder what's going on in their heads," King said thoughtfully.  
  
"No arguments there," JR said as a chop was released by Triple H to Sean O' Haire. "And the match in underway. I can't believe they'd let those 4 women be in that ring with all those men!"  
  
"I can't believe I'm not one of those men!" King laughed.  
  
"And a Russian Leg swipe by Jeff. And Shannon Moore is eliminated by Randy Orton," JR said. "Stephanie better watch her back. Looks to me like Shane could be planning some sort of attack on his sister."  
  
"If ya ask me, she deserves it!" King said.  
  
"And Christian is eliminated by Angel. The teams are evened out!"  
  
"Hold that thought JR, looks like Jericho has just eliminated Matt Cappotelli."  
  
"It's definitely one hell of a battle. As Jeff Hardy goes up to the top rope. SWANTON BOMB!!" JR yelled. "Lita eliminates Trish and Victoria eliminates Lita."  
  
"Look at Lita and Trish battle it out on the outside!! PUPPIES!!" King drooled.  
  
"Jeff and Angel look to be teaming up," JR said.  
  
"Heaven N' Hell!" Jeff and I exclaimed as we performed the move onto Randy Orton.  
  
"Angel whips Orton into the ropes and Hardy eliminates him. And there goes Victoria, eliminated easily by Sean O' Haire. Looks like the Nowhere Kids have the upper hand here. It's quickly become a 3 on 2 match," JR said. "Halo's Twist by Mystic Angel as Sean O' Haire is knocked over the top rope by Triple H."  
  
"2 on 2 JR!!" King exclaimed.  
  
"And Shane McMahon starts pounding on his little sister!" JR yelled. "Double team by Hardy and Angel."  
  
"Is this the reunion of Team Extreme?" King questioned. "And there goes Chris Jericho."  
  
"STOP THE MATCH!!!" Stephanie squealed scrambling away from her brother. Jeff and I stopped in the middle of the ring and Triple H clotheslined me. He moved towards me to kick me while I was down, but Jeff jumped between us and pushed him back, yelling at him. Triple H just grinned as he looked down at Stephanie. "This match is over!"  
  
"Why baby sister? You scared your team will lose?" Shane asked a grin on his face.  
  
"Nnno, but you attacked me!! So, um, EVOLUTION wins!!!" she screamed.  
  
"What the hell?!" Shane yelled as Jeff helped me up. "That makes NO sense!"  
  
"Sorry Shane, that's how this match works," she smiled and started walking up the ramp with the rest of Evolution.  
  
"Stephanie!! This isn't over!" Shane yelled as we all watched in disbelief. She turned around and waved at us.  
  
*************  
  
"I'm really glad you and Jeff have decided to be friends again. It was really putting a strain on our relationship," Shane smiled as we laid together on the couch watching some movie that I had lost interest in.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure it did," I laughed as he wrapped his arms tighter around my waist.  
  
"How's it feel to be finally settled and moved into our home?" he asked kissing my cheek.  
  
"Our home. I really like the sound of that," I smiled. "I love you, you know that?"  
  
"I had a feeling," he chuckled releasing my body. He climbed over me and knelt down on the floor. "Want anything?"  
  
"You," I replied with a small smile.  
  
"Ah, I see, well, I'm sorry, but I'm not available," he replied. I stood up and glared at him as I placed my hands on my hips. "I'm taken by a beautiful." He paused to put his hands on my waist. "Smart." He paused again, pulling me into his body. "Sweet." Again he paused, placing a kiss on my nose. "Generous." Pausing yet again to kiss my cheek. "Girl." He kissed me deeply, putting his whole body into the kiss. We broke, moments later, and smiled at each other. "I know this is going to sound incredibly unromantic, but can we maybe have sex? Ya know, start trying tonite?"  
  
I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. I thought a moment before replying, "Is that all I am to you?! Am I just sex, to you?!"  
  
"I'm going to hurt you," he growled playful.  
  
"Promise?" I smiled.  
  
"Kinky," he nodded, a sly smile on his face. He lifted me in his arms and I narrowed my eyebrows together. "Well, I never got to carry you over the thresh hold on our "wedding" nite, so I thought I'd do that now, since we're finally in our home." I put my hands on either side of his face and brought my mouth upon his.  
  
"I love you!" I exclaimed as he carried me up the stairs to the bedroom.  
  
Everything was going good. We were getting into the moment. Both of us getting hot and couldn't wait for that one specific moment. I suddenly pushed him off me and sat up quickly, moving hair out of my face. He looked at me curiously, almost hurt. I grabbed the sheet and stood, wrapping it around my body before I started pacing around the room.  
  
"What's the matter?!" Shane exclaimed, watching me move about the room.  
  
"I can't do this. I just can't. If you want to have sex, fine, put you're putting something on that...that...THING!" I cried pointing at him.  
  
"What? Why? I thought we had decided to have a baby!" he said putting his hands up to his face in disbelief.  
  
"I can't do this, I just can't. And you can't make me!" I said breaking down into tears as I dropped to the floor. He climbed out of the bed and dropped next to me, pulling my head onto his shoulder.  
  
"What has all of a sudden changed your mind?" he asked softly, running his fingers through my hair.  
  
"I'm not ready for a baby. I keep telling you this!" I exclaimed.  
  
"I don't believe that. I know you keep saying that's the reason, but I don't think it is. Casey, you're one to take chances, and this is a chance. You're lying to me, so what's the real reason behind all this?"  
  
I looked up at him and shook my head. "I'm so scared. So scared."  
  
"Having a baby is scary, but it's also a beautiful thing."  
  
"You didn't let me finish," I cried. "I'm scared that I'll turn out like my parents."  
  
"Oh Case, sweetie, no. You're nothing like them. NOTHING like them. If I thought for just one second you'd turn out like them, I would have never married you. Hell, I wouldn't have asked you to marry me all those times. Angel, you'll be a great mother. You just have to take a chance."  
  
"But what if I do end up like them. I don't think I could handle having my child hate me as much as I hate them."  
  
"The fact that you're worrying about this makes me believe that you won't end up like them. If you didn't worry about this, maybe you would be like them. But baby, I know in my heart, that you'll be just like you are now. A generous, caring, wonderful person."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because I love you. I have faith that you'll over come whatever flaws may have been brought done to you. I have faith that you'll be the best mother you could be. I have faith in you. And I have faith in YOU and ME as parents. As long as we're able to support each other and have a great dialogue, we'll be great. Do you trust me?"  
  
"Of course I do."  
  
"Then trust me on this."  
  
"Shane," I said as he ran his thumb over my cheeks, wiping them dry of tears.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Where'd we leave off?" I questioned. He wiggled his eyebrows and threw me over his shoulder, carrying me to the bed.  
  
*************  
  
GOOOOOOOOOO TITANS!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	29. Always

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm completely blank when it's coming to all my stories. This was so hard for me to do. But here it is. I used the songs "Falls on Me" by Fuel and "Everything" by Fefe Dobson. Lol I hope ya'll check out that new story of mine, The Mysterious One. That one's been floating in my mind for quite sometime and I decided to get it out there. Oh, and just to let you know, I hate this chapter. Lol Seriously, I don't like it, but I was coming up empty, so I figured this was better than nothing. I think that's it. READ ON!!!  
  
**************  
  
"Oh my God! That dress is beautiful!" I exclaimed as Trish, my maid of honor, held up my wedding dress. "How'd you guys get my size and measurements and stuff?"  
  
"See that's, that's, where things get weird," she chuckled.  
  
"Oh no," I laughed.  
  
"Yeah, um, while you were knocked out from surgery, we um, had Shane get your measurements," she laughed.  
  
"That's definitely bizarre," I said as she held the dress up to me.  
  
"Well, here's another bizarre fact about this dress." I looked at her through the mirror and smiled. "It's the one you wore for your and Jeff's wedding."  
  
"No, no way!"  
  
"Yeah, we had it altered a bit. Made it more modern and gave it more of your personality. Maggie from wardrobe helped out a lot. We took the top and separated it from the skirt, making it a two piece. Then we cut the back off from the front of the top. Then we sewed ribbons into the front in the wedding colors, black, blue, and green, and that's how we're tying the top. We replaced the straps with the same ribbons and attached them to this one strip of white from the original back," Trish explained.  
  
"Trish, you went to a lot of work for this. Thank you. I really do appreciate it," I said hugging her.  
  
"Do we look hot or what?!" Amy exclaimed as she, Crystal, and Nora walked into the large hotel room already dressed for the wedding in simple full length spaghetti strap dresses in dark blue.  
  
"Very hot," I laughed. "I want you all to know how special ya'll are to me. I wish I could have gotten you all a little gift."  
  
"Shane covered that," Trish said handing me a large box. "He said for you to open the box today and give out each of the gifts, and then put in the video tape."  
  
"Do you know what the gifts are?" I questioned.  
  
"Not a clue. That was all his idea," Trish replied.  
  
"And Jeff gave me this to give to you. But he wants you to open it with Shane," Amy smiled. "So we'll just leave it in the limo when we go to the church."  
  
I nodded at her and opened the box, handing each girl a small wrapped box. I smiled as they opened them. "He got us charm bracelets?" Crystal questioned as she held out a silver bracelet with two charms already on it, a 'C' for her initial and a wedding ring with mine and Shane's initials engraved in it. "I fully expected to pull out some sort of sex toy or something," she laughed clasping the jewelry around her wrist.  
  
"Well, Case, put in the tape," Nora smiled as they took seats on the beds. I nodded and after pushing play on the VCR I took a seat between Amy and Trish.  
  
Shane sat in front of the camera and smiled. He took a breath and started speaking. "Well, I'm glad to see you got the tape. That means Trish did her job. And I hope you all like your wedding party gifts. Now to the reason I made this tape. Casey, I want to thank you for being in my life from that first phone call till now. We've been through so much, nothing could break us apart now. The moment that I knew I loved you, wasn't exactly the moment I said that I loved you. Even though I did love you then. This moment that I'm talking about, was the moment I knew I wanted to marry you. It was Thanksgiving, well, the day after, when your mom decided to pay us a little visit at Titan Towers. I was so worried that they were going to take you away. And that I wasn't going to see you ever again. That's when I knew I wanted you in my life forever. And now I have you forever. I apologize for anything stupid I may do in the future and anything stupid that I did in the past. I love you Casey. I love you SO much. And I know you'll be the most beautiful bride to ever walk down that isle today. I'll be waiting, maybe not patiently, but waiting none the less for you today. I love you." And the camera was shut off. The tape popped out and I continued to sit there.  
  
"That was sweet," Nora said taking out the tape.  
  
"That's the man I married. I'm going to be with him for the rest of my life," I smiled faintly.  
  
"Does that scare you?" Crystal asked.  
  
"More than anything in this world. But knowing that he loves me and that I love him and who he is, makes it all better. Makes me feel safe and secure. I feel differently than I did on mine and Jeff's wedding. Almost, I don't know, at peace, I suppose," I sighed.  
  
"Casey, that means you're ready to be with him. Ready to leave your single life behind and take a chance at true love," Amy smiled.  
  
"Now I know why you were so scared for your wedding," I laughed. "It does go away, right?"  
  
"Of course. You're the one that told me that. Right when you see him, and when you say your 'I do's', and when you have that first kiss, all your fears go away," Amy said.  
  
"Bbbut, I don't know if I can walk, I can barely stand. My heart is racing, so so fast. I feel like my chest is going to cave in," I said taking deep shallow breaths.  
  
"That's love sweetie. When you can't breathe, when you don't think you can move one step, when you think that you're going to pass out, that's called love," Crystal smiled. "You're in love."  
  
"Come on, let's get you into your dress," Trish said holding up the dress. I took a deep breath and nodded.  
  
*************  
  
"Goin to the chapel and we're GONNA get marrrried," we all sang in the limo as we rode towards the church, almost a ½ hour late.  
  
"Feeling any better?" Nora questioned.  
  
"Not really. If anything I'm getting worse. I think I'm getting butterflies," I crunched up my face as I grabbed my stomach.  
  
"Yeah, I know that feeling," Amy laughed. "Just remember what you told me on my wedding day. It applies to you too."  
  
"I know, I just keep saying, "I love him, he loves me" over and over again in my head," I laughed  
  
"Well, I have an announcement," Trish said. We all directed our attention to her. "Chad and I are going to try to have a baby."  
  
"Shane and I too!" I exclaimed happily.  
  
"No way! What the hell changed your mind about a baby?" Trish asked.  
  
"Shane and I sat down and had a long discussion. He convinced me everything was going to be alright. So we started trying a week ago," I replied.  
  
"Ya know, we should get pregnant together. That would be so much fun!" Trish suggested.  
  
"Oh my God, that's a great idea! We definitely should do that. Be pregnant together, eat weird foods together, wear really ugly clothes together," I laughed.  
  
"Oh it's SO on!" Trish smiled as we hugged in the limo.  
  
"Well congratulations girls," Crystal smiled. "I also have an announcement."  
  
"Uh-oh," we all smiled.  
  
"Shannon and I are going to have another baby," she said.  
  
"Congratulations Crystal! Oh my God! Willow's going to be a big sister," Nora smiled.  
  
"Willow will love that," Amy laughed. "Now she won't have all her Daddy's attention."  
  
"Oh she'll deal," Crystal rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so I'm 3 months pregnant."  
  
"That's great. Too bad you couldn't have waited," I smirked.  
  
"Sorry bout that, should have let me know ahead of time," she shook her head as the limo came to a stop.  
  
"Well ladies, here we are," the driver announced as he opened the door. I climbed out of the car carefully and held up my dress as we all walked into the beautiful large church.  
  
"Bout damn time ya'll got here," Matt sighed as he walked up to us in his tux.  
  
"Is Shane freakin out?" I laughed.  
  
"Just slightly. And you're already married!" he laughed. "Anyways, are you girls ready?"  
  
"We're ready," Trish nodded. "Casey?"  
  
I looked at them all and at Matt. I smiled and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."  
  
I looked up at Daddy as he walked me down the aisle. Shane stood next to his brother with a large grin on his face as he fought to keep his tears at bay. Dad let me go, kissed my check and sat down next to Sara before Shane took my hand. I looked into his brown eyes and all my fears drifted away. I took a deep breath and the ceremony started. It was mostly a blur, I remember bits and pieces, like exchanging the rings, Shane crying, and saying our 'I do's'. But that was about all.  
  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride."  
  
Shane put his hands on my face and pulled me towards him, "I love you," he said before kissing me.  
  
"I love you too," I returned the kiss. We turned to face our family and friends as we held hands.  
  
"I give you Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Helms!" They stood as we walked down the isle quickly.  
  
"Don't do that to me!" Shane exclaimed as we walked outside into the fall sunlight.  
  
"Do what?" I smiled.  
  
"Show up late like that. God, I thought you weren't going to show up," he shook his head as he held me tightly.  
  
"Yeah right! I'm already married to you! What difference would it make if I hadn't shown up?"  
  
"Well, I don't know, this all just makes it feel official," he smiled at me. I reached up and kissed him softly. "I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too," I said as people started filing out of the building. Most walked out and congratulated us while the others headed off to the reception. After greeting the people that stuck around and doing the wedding pictures, Shane and I got in one limo while the other's got in another. Shane and I sipped champagne as I had my legs stretched out over his lap and my shoes thrown on the floor.  
  
"You looked beautiful in that dress. It's definitely you," he smiled.  
  
"Yeah, they did a good job with it all, didn't they?" I said. "Trish and I have decided that we're going to have a baby together."  
  
He gave me a strange look and laughed. "Well, I don't exactly know how that's going to happen, but I sure as hell won't mind watching it being made."  
  
My mouth dropped as I slapped his arm. "You ass! You know what I meant. Trish and Chad are going to have a baby and we're going to have a baby. SEPARATELY!!!"  
  
"I know, just thought it'd be fun to bust your chain," he laughed as he noticed a package sitting on one of the seats. "What's that?"  
  
"Oh, that's a gift from Jeff. We're supposed to open it together," I replied as I reached for it.  
  
"Well, go ahead and open it," Shane said. I ripped it open and smiled when I saw what he had given me. It was the Amy Brown picture he had given me before I went to buy my wedding dress for our wedding, the "Always" painting.  
  
"Jeff's sweet," I said.  
  
"Yeah, that's really nice of him," Shane smiled kissing my cheek. I rested my head on his shoulder as we continued our way to the reception.  
  
***********  
  
"And here is your wedding party!" the DJ announced as everyone lined up in front of the doors to the reception hall. "Flower girl Kalista Calloway and ring bearer Michael Copeland!" They walked out together, hand in hand, K pretty much pulling little Michael along. "Nora Greenwald and Jason Reso."  
  
"Crystal Moore and Shannon Moore," the DJ said as they walked out arm in arm.  
  
"Did you boys have fun last nite?" I whispered to Shane as he held onto my waist.  
  
"Amy Hardy and Matt Hardy."  
  
"Yeah, it was definitely interesting," he laughed.  
  
"Strippers?" I questioned looking up at him. He leaned down and kissed my lips lightly.  
  
"No, no strippers," he replied.  
  
"And the Maid of Honor Trish Norris and Best man Michael Helms."  
  
"Are you ready for this?" Shane asked me.  
  
"As ready as I'll EVER be," I smiled at him.  
  
"And your newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Helms!" we walked out together holding hands. We smiled at all our guests and walked onto the dance floor. "And they'll have their customary first dance."  
  
'I wanna, li-li-li-lick you from yo' head to yo' toes  
  
And I wanna, move from the bed down to the down to the to the flo'  
  
Then I wanna, ahh ahh - you make it so good I don't wanna leave  
  
But I gotta, kn-kn-kn-know what-what's your fan-ta-ta-sy.'  
  
"You didn't!" I exclaimed slapping his chest. He started laughing as he pulled me into him and the music started to change.  
  
'I've seen you hanging round  
  
This darkness where I'm bound  
  
And this black hole I've dug for me  
  
And silently within  
  
With hands touching skin  
  
The shock breaks my disease  
  
And I can breathe'  
  
"No, I didn't. It was just a joke," he smiled.  
  
"I was going to have to kill you if you had made that our first dance," I laughed interlocking my fingers with his.  
  
'And all of your weight  
  
All you dream  
  
Falls on me it falls on me  
  
And your beautiful sky  
  
The light you bring  
  
Falls on me it falls on me'  
  
"So, is this your dream wedding?" he asked.  
  
"Um, kinda. I mean it's great, I couldn't ask for better friends, but um, I definitely would have done some stuff differently," I replied.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like the church. The colors. No green."  
  
"Oh there so would have been green."  
  
"No, not if I was planning it," I laughed.  
  
'Your faith like the pain  
  
Draws me in again  
  
She washes all my wounds for me  
  
The darkness in my veins  
  
I never could explain  
  
And I wonder if you ever see  
  
Will you still believe?'  
  
"I would have waited till Jessy had the baby or something like that. I don't know. There would have been some difference. But it was definitely a beautiful wedding," I smiled.  
  
"Then you're happy?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
'Am I that strong  
  
To carry on?  
  
I might change your life  
  
I might save my world  
  
Could you save me?'  
  
"But I would have been happy even if I didn't get a ceremony."  
  
"Yes, but I know you were kinda upset about not getting one."  
  
"I was, but ya know? Being married to you period makes me happy," I smiled as the song ended.  
  
Being that it was a large wedding with many guests, it was hard to spend a lot of time with one specific person. It took a lot of energy to mingle with each person, but we did our best. Towards the middle of the reception, not getting a chance to eat any food, I had thrown my shoes off to the side and went on a man hunt for a certain orange haired man.  
  
"Jeff, I've finally found you," I smiled as I walked up to him at the bar.  
  
"Well, I've been here most of the nite," he said hugging me. "You look beautiful."  
  
"Thank you," I blushed. "I wanted to thank you for the gift. It was perfect."  
  
"It was nothing," he smiled listening to the music change. "Do you wanna dance?" I nodded at him and he took my hand, leading me towards the dance floor.  
  
'Sometimes I give in to sadness  
  
Sometimes I don't  
  
At times I'm part of the madness  
  
Sometimes I won't  
  
Give in to you  
  
You see in a way  
  
I have been drifting down a river  
  
To nowhere  
  
And you've given me nothing'  
  
"So, um, hmm, this is kinda weird, huh?" he said.  
  
"A bit," I confessed. "I know it shouldn't feel this awkward, but it does."  
  
"Yeah, why is that?"  
  
"Maybe it's because we were once going to get married."  
  
"Maybe it's because you're wearing a cut up version of the dress?" he laughed.  
  
'But if you're ready to be my everything  
  
If you're ready to see it through this time  
  
And if you're ready for love then  
  
This I will bring  
  
But I'm not gonna wait for you forever this time'  
  
"That could be it," I laughed. "I'm just glad we're friends again. I did miss you. But I guess I have my rock back."  
  
"Yep, and just as sold as it was before."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"You and Shane look good together. You seem to just fit together like a puzzle."  
  
'At times I feel myself smiling  
  
At times I'm not  
  
What's with the guilt that you styling baby  
  
Talk don't look good on you  
  
You see in a way  
  
I have been looking for a reason to go there  
  
And you're leading me nowhere'  
  
"Well, we fit together, too," I sighed.  
  
"I know, but things don't always work the way we think they should. Or the way anyone thinks they should. This happens to be one of those times," Jeff said pushing a curl of green hair out of my face.  
  
'Are you waiting for a special occasion  
  
To give me your heart  
  
Cause I need a little confirmation  
  
To make a real start  
  
Don't wait till it's too late  
  
Are you ready to show me?  
  
Are you ready to love me?'  
  
"I'm sorry for any heart break I may have caused you. Jeff you were always there for me. Through the darkest times and the lightest times. I could always count on you for everything. I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too Casey. You'll always be my savior," he smiled. The song ended and he left me after kissing my cheek.  
  
"It's good to see you and Jeff together again," Amy smiled as she and Matt walked up to me.  
  
"Yeah, it's good to be seen together," I smiled.  
  
"He really does love you Case," Matt said rubbing my shoulder.  
  
"And I love him. But like I told someone before, they never said that once you've found your soul mate you'd marry them." I shrugged my shoulders and walked away.  
  
That nite, Shane and I spent the nite at a very nice hotel and had a short honeymoon, working on the family thing. He promised me that we'd eventually have a real honeymoon when things with work slowed down. But it didn't really matter to me. It finally felt official. I had Shane and he had me. That's all we needed was each other. 


	30. Stinger

A/N: I apologize for the lack of updates on this story and all my others. It's been hard to get these out of my head. I think I'm just thinking bout too many things. Getting to Louisville, getting a car, getting a job, going to JCC in the fall, etc. It's all just clouding up my head. But I am trying my hardest. I hope ya'll are enjoying The Mysterious One. If ya haven't read it, please go check it out. That seems to be the only story that's coming fairly easy to me. And I'm really shocked by your reviews. It seems the majority of you want Casey to get back with Jeff. That's very interesting. Lol Oh, and here's some like irony for ya. I have some of one of the last chapters done already. But I can't write these chapters. Lol And let me tell you, it's REALLY good. lol Well, I'm on my way to NY so I wanted to get this out. It's not what I would have liked it to be, but it'll do. I'll be back Sunday nite so I'll be writing while I'm gone. I'm thinking this story only has a few more chapters left. I'm guessing 5- 10, give or take a chapter or two. Lol Anyways, here's the next chapter.  
  
***************  
  
Shane smiled at me as I walked towards him in the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed with his hands resting on his knees. "Well?" he asked hopefully.  
  
I shook my head. "No." He wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his head on my stomach and sighed. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. We just keep trying. It's only been 2 months since we started anyways. Besides, I'm having a good time," he laughed trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"You don't think we're failing because of me losing Rune, do you?" I questioned.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe. I'm no doctor Case. But I doubt that's the reason. Maybe we should get you checked out. If that would make you feel better, that is," he replied.  
  
"No, I don't want to do that. Not yet anyways," I sighed.  
  
"Let's get some sleep. We've got a long flight in the morning."  
  
"Can we just have sex first?"  
  
"Baby, you don't ever have to ask that question," he grinned throwing me on the bed.  
  
**********  
  
"So, any luck?" I asked as I walked to Trish's seat on the plane.  
  
"Nope, not yet. You?"  
  
"Nothing. God, what's wrong with us?"  
  
"I've been wondering the same thing. Cause I don't know whether this is my fault or if maybe he's shooting blanks, ya know?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't think that's it in our case," I nodded towards Shane.  
  
"I have an appointment with a doctor when we get back from England," she sighed.  
  
"You don't sound too happy bout that."  
  
"Well I'm just scared they'll find something wrong with me. What if for whatever reason I can't have kids?"  
  
"I know the feeling. Shane suggested that I go to a doctor but I said no. I think that would just make me feel worse."  
  
"Right, there's like no way to get through all this. It's like you just have to keep trying and if you fail and fail over and over again, than so be it. But the more we try and the more we fail, the more upset I get."  
  
"Ma'am, could you please return to your seat. We're about ready land," the stewardess requested as she tapped my shoulder. I nodded and moved back to my seat next to Shane.  
  
"So?" Shane asked as I fastened my seat belt.  
  
"She's coming up, um, empty, just like we are," I sighed.  
  
"Wow, we just can't get a break here can we?"  
  
"Doesn't seem that way," I shook my head as the plane landed.  
  
Being that our show would be starting about 3 hours after we had landed, everyone rushed to their hotels and dropped off their stuff before heading straight to the arena.  
  
'We are the people that you hate  
  
we are the bastards that you created  
  
a generation with no place  
  
a generation of all your sons and daughters'  
  
"The fallowing match is a tag match scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from Cameron, North Carolina, Jeff Hardy and Mystic Angel!" I jumped up and down as we walked towards the ring, trying to get the full arena amped up for the match. Jeff and I ran down the sides and slapped the fans' hands. Sliding in opposite sides of the ring, we met in the middle and just gave each other a little peck on the lips. We each took a post and motioned for everyone to stand up. "And their opponents, Trish Stratus and Randy Orton!" They didn't waste any time running to the ring. Once inside Jeff was knocked down by Randy and I had Trish in a front headlock. The ref broke up Jeff and Randy, leaving Trish and I in the ring. She fought her way up and elbowed me in the stomach. I let her go and she bounced off the ropes. I dropped to the mat and leaped over me. She ran back to me and threw her down in a tilt-a-whirl slam. I tried for a quick cover but she kicked out. I pulled her up and performed a snap suplex, and a back flip. I tried for another cover but she kicked out. Frustrated, I pulled her up and whipped her into the ropes. I tried a drop kick, but she held onto the ropes. She quickly jumped on me and started pounding on my face. She whipped me into the corner and Randy did a blind tag. She held me so my side was vulnerable. He punched my side and suplexed me. He put me in an arm bar and I cried out in pain.  
  
"ASK HER!" Randy yelled at the ref. I shook my head and kept screaming no in response to the ref's questions. Somehow I pushed my self into a bridge and rolled myself onto Randy. He let go of my arm and I let loose a fury of punches to his fine chiseled face. I stood and tried to get to Jeff to tag him in, but Randy grabbed my ankle and I landed face down on the mat. I grabbed my jaw as Randy started pulling me towards the middle of the ring. I rolled over and kicked him as hard as possible. He was taken aback and I started crawling for Jeff. Randy raced over to me and picked me up around the waist and threw me face down on the mat. He rolled me over and tried for the pin but I kicked out. I took a deep breath as he pulled me up by my hair. He whipped me into the corner and set me up on the post. He tagged in Trish and she gave me a demonic grin before using her Stratusphere. She covered me and Jeff started to get into the ring, but Randy had jumped in and knocked him over the ropes, causing a brawl to break out outside the ring. The bell sounded and Evolution's music started, sounding the end of the match.  
  
"And here are your winners, Trish Status and Randy Orton!" Trish jumped up in excitement and Randy slid into the ring to congratulate her. I crawled to the ropes and rolled under them. Jeff was lying on the floor holding the back of his head and fell down next to him. I helped him up and walked to the back.  
  
"You alright?" I asked concerned.  
  
"Yeah, you thought I was actually hurt?" he questioned with a grin.  
  
"I'm never worrying about you again," I said nailing him in the stomach.  
  
"I hear you and Shane are trying to start a family."  
  
"Yeah, although it wasn't really meant to be a secret."  
  
"Well that's cool. Good luck with that," he smiled and kissed my cheek.  
  
"Hey Jeff," I called to him. He turned around and threw me a water bottle. "Thanks, but um, you goin to Matt and Amy's Christmas party when we get home?"  
  
"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" he laughed. "See you tomorrow babe!" I waved to him and walked to the locker room.  
  
"Hey Case," John smiled as he stopped me in the hall.  
  
"Hey John, what's up?" I said reaching up to give him a hug.  
  
"Well, I have some news and I wanted you to be the first of my friends to know," he replied.  
  
"Well you certainly have my attention. What's your news?"  
  
"I'm getting married."  
  
"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?" I yelled as my eyes popped out and my jaw dropped to the floor.  
  
"Yeah, shocking?"  
  
"Oh hell yeah!" I replied. He laughed at me and I shook my head. "I mean congratulations."  
  
"Thanks. I just had to tell you."  
  
"Well, I know you'll be happy. I mean look at me. I'm very happily married."  
  
"I know you are. And I think you're the reason I proposed."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean when you got married I thought you had made the biggest mistake of your life. But then I saw how happy you truly were and realized that I wanted that too. So thank you for making me see the light."  
  
"Your welcome, I think," I smiled.  
  
"Well, I have a match to get to so I'll see you later," he said before leaning down to kiss my cheek. He ran down the hall and I shook my head at him.  
  
**************  
  
Shane stood in the middle of Matt's living room dancing wildly to whatever music was currently playing. Matt and Amy's Christmas party was definitely a blast and probably one of the best parties I had been to in a long time. The song ended and Shane and I decided it'd be a good idea to take a break from the dancing, so we found Matt, Shannon, and Jeff in the kitchen talking.  
  
"Cookie?" Shannon offered pushing the plate of chocolate chip cookies towards me.  
  
I made a face and grabbed my stomach. "No thank you. I haven't been feeling too well this week. And chocolate just seems to make me feel worse," I replied.  
  
"Oh really now?" Matt grinned smartly as he crossed his arms.  
  
"Oh don't give me that look. I'm not what you think I am," I shook my head. "Oh God, do I smell bananas?"  
  
"Yeah, they're over there," Matt laughed pointing to the dinning room table. I crunched up my nose in disgust.  
  
"I know you can smell bananas when someone is like 50 miles away cause of your hate for them, but that's a little ridiculous. They're not open what so ever!" Jeff laughed.  
  
"Yeah, but I can smell them right now," I said. "And that mixing with the chocolate chips is just not a good combination. I'm getting out of here." I kissed Shane's cheek and left the room.  
  
"Sounds like you got a bun in the oven buddy," Jeff smiled.  
  
"I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm just not sure we're capable of having kids. 2 months and we've come up empty handed?" Shane sighed.  
  
"It takes time man," Shannon smiled.  
  
"Yeah, says the man who's expecting his second child," Shane laughed.  
  
"What can I say?" Shannon shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"I really would have her get tested. Because I know when Amy got pregnant she couldn't be around Ranch salad dressing or bacon," Matt said.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose I should suggest it to her."  
  
"And then talk to Vince about getting her cut out of storylines. So this way nothing happens to her or the baby, like last time," Jeff said. The boys nodded in agreement and Shane took a deep breath.  
  
************  
  
"Well, Chad and I are officially pregnant!" Trish exclaimed as she burst into the locker room. I jumped up and hugged her.  
  
"That's great Trish!" I smiled.  
  
"So? Any good news?" Trish wondered.  
  
"No, we thought at Christmas that I might be, but I took a test and it came up negative," I sighed sadly.  
  
"It'll happen."  
  
"I hope so cause I feel really bad for Shane. He gets so excited and then I have to let him down."  
  
"He knows this is how things happen. It just takes time."  
  
"I know, but I think it's just taking too much time."  
  
"Jeff's match is up next!" Amy yelled to us as she popped her head into the locker room. Nichole laughed as Amy bounced her up and down.  
  
"Did he tell you if he wins or not?" Trish asked as we walked towards catering to watch the match.  
  
"No, I'm really hoping though. He does deserve it," I replied. "I just don't think Vince will give him the chance. I have a strong feeling that Jeff's not winning the Undisputed Title tonite." I shook my head as we sat at a large round table. Nichole reached out for her uncle who was quickly moving around the screen, escaping Matt Morgan's advances. Matt got a lucky shot in and quickly picked Jeff up and threw him over the ropes in a powerbomb style. Jeff's head bounced off the floor and we all gasped in horror as Jeff stopped moving. Nichole started crying as we watched refs and paramedics run down to Jeff. Matt stood in the ring watching, a shocked expression on his face.  
  
"Hold Nichole for me?" Amy asked Trish. She nodded and Amy and I took off for the gorilla position.  
  
"Did you see what just happened?" Shannon asked worriedly.  
  
"Is he okay?" I questioned.  
  
"It wasn't planned. So I don't think he's in the best shape right now," Shannon shook his head as he wrapped his arm around my waist. We waited and soon the paramedics were carrying Jeff on a stretcher.  
  
"Jeff?" I questioned.  
  
"Hey babe," he smiled in pain.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked.  
  
"No, not this time. I can't move. I can't feel my legs. My hands are tingling. Case, I'm scared," he said as I watched him being rushed down the hall.  
  
"He can't move," I cried.  
  
"Come on, let's get to the hospital," Shannon said taking my hand. I nodded as we ran down the hall.  
  
"I'll grab your stuff and Shane, Matt, and I will be there in a bit!" Amy called after us.  
  
Shannon and I followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. They wasted no time in bringing Jeff in. Shannon and I waited in the waiting room, hoping it wouldn't take long for the doctors to give us some information.  
  
About 2 hours later, we were still waiting for some information, Matt was asking the nurses constantly, but came up empty everytime. I had cried myself to sleep in Shane's lap, but suddenly woke up running for the bathroom. Shane gave Amy a sideways glance and she handed Shannon the fussy brunette.  
  
"Casey?" Amy questioned as she walked into the bathroom.  
  
"I feel like crap," I cried as I walked out of a stall. I put my hands on the sink and looked into the mirror. My face was pale and my eyes were blood shot. I rinsed my mouth out and looked at her.  
  
"Nerves about Jeff?" Amy wondered.  
  
"I don't know. I have a feeling that Jeff is alright. So I don't think that's it. Have you heard anything about a stomach flu goin around?"  
  
"No, sorry."  
  
"What the hell is wrong with me?"  
  
"I have one idea," she smiled. "There's a RiteAid next door. Want me to run down there?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll wait here." She nodded and ran out. About 15 minutes later she was back, the test had been taken, and we were sitting on the counter waiting for the results.  
  
"Nervous?" she asked.  
  
"Like you wouldn't believe," I laughed as someone knocked on the door. Amy slid off the counter and let in Shane.  
  
"What's goin on?" he asked giving me a much needed kiss. He put his hands on either side of me on the counter as he stepped in between my legs.  
  
"I think I'm pregnant," I replied.  
  
"Really?!" he exclaimed pulling me off the counter and swinging me around in a circle. I laughed as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He kissed me passionately and Amy laughed.  
  
"Ya know, that's how this whole mess began," she smirked.  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Shane said wiggling his eyebrows. Amy looked at her watch and motioned to the test strip. Shane and I took similar deep breaths as he carried me over to the strip. The three of us looked down at the very clear response. Shane and I looked at each other, large smiles on our faces. My chin began to quiver as tears trickled down my face. "We're having a baby," he breathed.  
  
"We're having a baby," I said loudly.  
  
"WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!" Shane yelled as a nurse burst into the bathroom.  
  
"You are in an emergency room. Keep it down please. And sir you should not be in the women's bathroom," she reprimanded us. We nodded at her and she left.  
  
"We're having a baby!" I said as Shane pulled me into his body. He held me to him tightly as the three of us walked out to the waiting room.  
  
"What's goin on?" Matt asked as Amy walked to him with a smile on her face. She reached up and placed a kiss on his lips, wrapping her arms around his waist.  
  
"We're having a baby," Shane answered happily as I slid down to the floor. Shannon jumped up and swung me around. He bent down and kissed my stomach, rubbing it gently.  
  
"We knew it!" Matt laughed hugging Shane brotherly. He looked at me and kissed my cheek. "Congratulations kiddo."  
  
"Thanks Matty," I laughed as Jeff's doctor approached us.  
  
"Matt Hardy?" he asked.  
  
"That's me," Matt stepped up to shake the doctor's hand. "How's my brother?"  
  
"Well, he had an extreme blow to the back of his head and his back. But he's regained feeling in his arms and legs just recently. He has a minor concussion, which is amazing. And his back is bruised."  
  
"But he can move?" Shannon asked.  
  
"Oh yes, he can move now," the doctor smiled.  
  
"Oh thank God," I said with a sigh of relief.  
  
"You can go in and see him," the doctor said leading us to the room. Jeff was sitting up in the bed with his arms crossed, looking extremely bored.  
  
"Hey ya'll," he smiled as we walked in.  
  
"Damn you gave us such a scare little brother," Matt hugged him.  
  
"I try my best," Jeff joked.  
  
"Well don't do it again!" I said slapping his leg.  
  
"So what was it? Just a stinger?" Shannon questioned.  
  
"Yeah, I'm assuming. I'll be back to work in 2 weeks," Jeff replied. "I heard that there was a ruckus in the women's bathroom just a few minutes ago. What was goin on?"  
  
"That would be our fault," I laughed as Shane wrapped his arm around me.  
  
"Uh-oh," Jeff shook his head.  
  
"Case and I are going to have a baby," Shane said.  
  
"No way! I thought the tests came up negative," Jeff smiled.  
  
"Yeah, well, they were like defective or something, cause I just took one and it came up positive," I laughed.  
  
"Congratulations. I'm very happy for you two," he said.  
  
"Thank you," I smiled kissing his cheek.  
  
"You'll be great parents." I looked up at Shane and we smiled at each other. 


	31. July 10, 2009

A/N: Alright, so I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I went to NY, came back in time for the Super Bowl (damn pats), my grandmother died, and then my mom and I went back to NY on Wednesday and didn't come back till today. I didn't get much done on my stories. In fact I only really worked on that one chapter that I mentioned in the last A/N. This story is really coming down to the last few. I thank you all for being with me through all the trials and tribulations of this series. And no, Jeff and Casey are NOT hooking up again. Lol It's amazing how many reviews tell me to put them together. I don't think I ever really planned on them being together in the end. Ah well, here's the next chapter. And no, it's not the last one.  
  
*************  
  
"I hate looking for baby names," I said cracking my neck as I sat on the bed in the hotel with Shane's lap top in front of me. He laughed and walked over in just a pair of jeans to kiss my cheek.  
  
"It's not important what we call, er um, it, right now," he said combing back my hair.  
  
"Yeah it is. We can't just call her or him it. We should pick a name."  
  
"Shouldn't we find out what sex it is first?" he questioned crossing his arms.  
  
"Hey, you have the envelope. You said you wanted to wait. So you're the reason we don't know right now," I smiled at him as I pushed myself off the bed. He put his hand softly on my stomach and bent down, pulling my shirt up, allowing my 5 month large stomach to show. He kissed it softly, causing me to giggle a bit, and spoke some quiet words to the baby.  
  
"Yeah well you also said in the beginning that you wanted to be surprised," he said rising to his feet.  
  
"Yes, I did. But I have recently changed my mind."  
  
"So we want to know?"  
  
"We want to know."  
  
He took a deep breath and walked to his duffle bag. He pulled out a large envelop and sat on the bed. I sat next to him and waited as he held the envelope in his hand. "Are we sure about this?"  
  
"Yeah, we're sure," I smiled nervously. He ripped open the top and pulled out the very professional looking paper. His eyes scanned down the page as I bit on my lip, waiting for the results. "Well?"  
  
"Boy," he said with a nod.  
  
"Boy, as in we're having a boy? Or boy that's shocking?"  
  
"Which do you think?"  
  
"I think you're being an asshole."  
  
"Thought so. It's a boy," he smiled kissing my cheek.  
  
"So now we have to find some good boys' names?"  
  
"Looks that way. Any ideas? Cause I was kinda think his first name could be Gregory."  
  
"I'm not calling my child a junior or anything stupid like that."  
  
"We wouldn't. It'd just be Gregory. It's not like people call me that," he laughed.  
  
"I know, but it just seems wrong."  
  
"Well, I want Gregory," he insisted.  
  
"Fine, Gregory what?"  
  
"That's your job. I have to get to the arena. I'll see you later before the show," Shane said pulling on a black sweater. "Call my cell if you need me. I love you." I leaned down and kissed me tenderly. He patted my stomach and smiled. "And I love you too little Gregory."  
  
"Oh Lord," I rolled my eyes. "I'll see you later. Love you." He threw his duffle bag over his shoulder and left the room. I sighed and went back to my search for names. "Middle names? This is gonna be one hellashis search."  
  
***************  
  
I yawned as I walked down the long hall, passing familiar techs along the way, and waving to a select few. I was a bit early, but I was excited to tell Shane that I had found a middle name for our baby. There was only one name it could be. I started for catering, which wasn't shocking to anyone at that point in my pregnancy, and saw Chad standing with a 6 month pregnant Trish. I smiled and walked up to her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I asked placing my hands on my hips. She turned and smiled largely at me, giving me a large hug.  
  
"I convinced Chad to drive the 2 hours here to visit everyone. You?" she said.  
  
"Shane," I replied.  
  
"You look good. How do you feel?"  
  
"Well, I'm alright. The pains are starting to set in more and more each day. And he's now started kicking me which is just simply pleasant," I joked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm right there with you. So you're having a boy? You guys decided to look finally?"  
  
"Yep, Gregory Adam Helms," I smiled rubbing my stomach.  
  
"Awe, that's so cute!" she cried out. "So you're having a boy and I'm having girls. Damn, that's just perfect!"  
  
"I know, couldn't be any better," I smiled. Then it hit me, she said girls, as in plural. "Wait, girls?!"  
  
"Yeah, we're having twins. Main reason I'm like 10 times fatter than I should be," she laughed.  
  
"She's not fat. She's beautiful," Chad piped in placing a kiss on Trish's cheek.  
  
"Twins? Wow, that's a handful, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, should be interesting."  
  
"So thought of names?"  
  
"Yeah, one will be Ryan Elizabeth and the other will be Bridget May," Trish smiled.  
  
"Those are beautiful names," I replied.  
  
"Yeah, we think so," Chad said. "But we should be going."  
  
"Awe, baby, we just got here," Trish pouted.  
  
"Yeah, like an hour ago," he laughed. "Besides, you heard what the doctor said, you need plenty of rest. And I'm going to see to it that you get that rest."  
  
"Isn't he so sweet?" Trish swooned.  
  
"The sweetest," I shook my head.  
  
"Well, I'll talk to you soon. Take care of that baby of yours," Trish hugged me.  
  
"The best of care. Make sure that you take care of yours. Twins, that's amazing," I sighed.  
  
"Love ya girl," Trish smiled as they started walking away.  
  
"Love ya too," I called after her.  
  
"You're looking beautiful kiddo," Adam grinned as he walked towards me in his ring gear.  
  
"Thank you," I nodded at him with a knowing smile. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek.  
  
"How are you doing?"  
  
"Just peachy," I laughed. "We found out the sex."  
  
"Oh? And what are you having?"  
  
"A boy," I smiled.  
  
"That's great. Congratulations!" he laughed.  
  
"Yeah, and it's not official yet, I still have to talk to Shane, but umm, his name is going to be Gregory Adam Helms."  
  
"Oh Case, that's, that's great. That really means a lot to me," he said placing another kiss on my cheek.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to tell you."  
  
"Baby, there you are. I've been looking for ya," Shane greeted me. He patted my stomach and smiled at Adam. "Doesn't she look great?"  
  
"Yeah, she does," Adam nodded.  
  
"Did you see Trish?"  
  
"Yeah, I did. Did you hear about the twins?" I questioned.  
  
"I sure did. Isn't that awesome? Wouldn't it be something if we were really having twin boys?" Shane asked excitedly. Adam started laughing as my face fell.  
  
"I'll see you soon kiddo," Adam said as he walked off.  
  
"Twin boys?" I choked out.  
  
"Yeah, that would be something," he grinned.  
  
"There aint no way in hell I'm having twin," I exclaimed placing my hands on my hips.  
  
"Well honey, I don't think that's something would could stop if you were."  
  
"Oh I would be finding someway. Cause I'm not having twins!" I screeched at him as I started walking down the hall.  
  
**************  
  
"Thanks Jeff for comin over and helping me with the crib," I sighed as I brushed a sweaty chunk of hair off my face.  
  
"No problem. Although if I had known that your air conditioner was broken, I may have just changed my mind," he chuckled wiping his face with a towel.  
  
"Exactly why I didn't tell you," I grinned. The weather was incredibly hot. July was here in full force. The temperatures had been reaching 95 or more that whole week, which wasn't very comfortable for a woman in her 8th month of pregnancy, only 3 weeks from my due date. That morning the air conditioner had broken in the house and I was feeling the affects of the heat in its full power. Jeff had come over to help me finish up the baby's room since he home to sell an injury. Shane was off to New England for a few television appearances and a couple house shows. Jeff was finishing up the crib as I sat in the rocking chair that sat by the window.  
  
"You alright?" he asked as I started taking in deep breaths air.  
  
"Yeah, it's just so hot," I shook my head.  
  
"Wanna get out of here and go to a restaurant or someplace with air conditioning?"  
  
"No, I'll be fine."  
  
"Okay," he replied unsure as he screwed on the last bolt. "Alright, I'm done." He smiled proudly.  
  
I bent over in my chair in pain and cried out. Jeff ran to me quickly and grabbed my hand tightly. I started my breathing techniques I had learned in my delivery classes.  
  
"Casey, what's wrong?" Jeff asked frantically.  
  
I sat up and took deep breaths. "I think it's time."  
  
"But you still have 3 weeks!" he exclaimed helping me stand.  
  
"Explain that to little Gregory here!" I yelled as we descended the stairs.  
  
"Well, are you sure it's not false labor?" he questioned as I bent over in pain again.  
  
"Positive!" I screamed out. I stood up and did my breathing once again as Jeff ran to the phone to call the hospital and Shane.  
  
"Shane's taking the next flight out. He's gonna try to be here," Jeff said as he grabbed my hospital and walked me out to the car.  
  
"He has to be here!" I cried.  
  
"He's going to try his hardest babe. Really, he is," Jeff said as we took off down the road.  
  
*************  
  
I was positive my screams could be heard throughout the entire hospital. Jeff was there the whole time to hold my hand, wipe my forehead, and kiss my fears away. Finally, after 3 hours of labor, I gave birth to my son.  
  
"He's beautiful," Jeff smiled down at me as I held Gregory in my arms. "He's got your eyes. And your smile."  
  
"I can't believe that Shane and I made this. It's amazing," I bit on my lip. "Thank you Jeff."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For being here since Shane couldn't be. And for helping me deliver my son. I couldn't have done it without."  
  
"Babe, for years I've been telling you that you are strong. Strong enough to do it all by yourself. This is no different from any other time. You could have done it without me. You could have made this on your own."  
  
"No, I couldn't have. Jeff, you gave me the strength to go on. That last push, I couldn't have done it if you hadn't been her, telling me that I could. Jeff you're my reason, you're my strength. Without you, I'd be nothing."  
  
"I love you Case," he smiled.  
  
"I love you too," I said as he bent down to kiss my cheek.  
  
"Well, do we have a name for the baby?" the nurse asked as she walked into the room.  
  
"Gregory Nero Helms," I smiled.  
  
"Nero? But thought Adam was going to be his middle name," Jeff shook his head.  
  
"It was. But because of your heroicness and ability to be calm under this much pressure and for being there for me today, I think his middle name should stand for something strong. And I think Nero is just the name he needs."  
  
"Shouldn't you wait for Shane to make that sort of decision?"  
  
"Shane's not here. And he gave me the responsibility to give our son his middle name. And I choose Nero," I said handing Nero to Jeff. "It fits. Jeff he loves you. And he doesn't even know you. When we decide on who's going to be the godparents. I'm goin to pull for you Jeff. I want you to be his godfather."  
  
"Casey, I don't know what to say. Thank you I guess," he said as Nero nuzzled into his chest.  
  
"I'm here! Did I make it in time!?" Shane exclaimed as he ran into the hospital room.  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't hold him in any longer," I laughed.  
  
"Damn, I'm sorry Angel," Shane said walking towards the bed.  
  
"It's alright. Jeff was there, the whole way," I nodded.  
  
"Thanks Jeff. That means a lot," Shane smiled as Jeff handed over the baby.  
  
"Shane, I want you to meet your son. Gregory Nero Helms," I smiled.  
  
"Nero? I thought you had decided on Adam."  
  
"Well, yes, but I think he should have Jeff's middle name in thanks for everything that he did today."  
  
"Anything you want," Shane said kissing Nero's small forehead. "Happy Birthday Nero. Welcome to a very loving and large family. We'll support you through everything. Through the good times and the bad times and anything in between. Your mother and I love you, and we're so happy you've finally made it into the world." 


	32. Return to Pooh Corner

A/N: You all must think I've disappeared again. Lol Well, I haven't. I'm having computer problems again. Does anyone know anything about the iTunes thing from iPod? I downloaded it do that free music thing with Pepsi, and that seems to be when all my new problems started. So do any of you know if this could be my problem? Anyways, the story. I'm glad to see ya'll liked the name change. Lol The songs I used in this chapter is Jessica Simpson's "With You" and Otep's "Sacrilege" and Kenny Loggins' "Return to Pooh Corner". I believe that's all I really had to say. So um, here's the chapter. Oh, this is going to be a really short chapter............to be followed up by that one chapter that I've been talking about. So don't be surprised at the shortness of this one.  
  
*********************  
  
"The real me is a southern girl with her Levis on and an open heart. Wish I could save the world, like I was super girl. The real me used to laugh all night lying in the grass just talking about love. But lately I've been jaded life got so complicated." I was in a good mood that evening. I was singing and dancing in the living room, acting as if I was a teenager again, where the only real worry I had was passing geometry for the semester. I had finally made it back to the size and weight I was before my pregnancy, 3 months after Nero was born. Thank God for that gym in the basement. I was oblivious to anything going on around me. One reason would be the music being too loud and the other because I slipped into my own little world. "I start thinking about it, I almost forgot what it was like. To know what it feels right. Cause with you, I can let my hair down. I can say anything crazy. I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground. With nothing but a T-shirt on, I never felt so beautiful. Baby as I do now. Now that I'm with you." I spun around and faced the entrance to the living room. Standing there, with his long wavy brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail, his brown eyes sparkling, was Shane. He had a large smile on his face and he started clapping at me. I felt my face get red with embarrassment as he started walking towards me. I put my hand to my head and shook it. "And how long have you been there?" I questioned looking up at him, biting my lower lip.  
  
"Long enough to remember why I love you," he replied with a laugh. He pulled me into him and placed a tender kiss on my lips.  
  
"I'm so glad you're home," I smiled as I turned the stereo off with the remote.  
  
"Me too. How come it's so quiet in here?" he questioned.  
  
"Ah, well, you see I was rescued by an angel around 7 this morning," I answered.  
  
"Yes, we have to love those angels," he laughed. "Seriously though."  
  
"Well, Gil showed up this morning, took Nero for the day, giving me a much needed day off, and won't be back to drop him off till 8 tonite."  
  
"So we have three hours free of crying?" I nodded. "Diapers?" I nodded again. "Just you and me?" I nodded a third time. "Oh my Lord. What the hell are we gonna do with ourselves?!"  
  
"Well, I personally have had one busy and good day," I grinned.  
  
"And you did what?"  
  
"Well, I took a nice long bath this morning when Nero left. Then I went shopping. Then I went to the spa and got a massage. And then I went to the salon. Did you notice the hair?!" I exclaimed excitedly as I pulled my Yankees hat off and pulled my hair out of its ponytail, shaking my hair out for him.  
  
"Whoa," he said taking a step back. My hair had been cut, to rest just on my shoulders, much shorter than it was before. It was layered and had been chemically straightened. It had been dyed back to my original color, a light brown, with blonde highlights.  
  
"Well? Do you like it?" I asked nervously.  
  
"Baby, it looks great. I'm, wow," he smiled running his fingers through it.  
  
"So then you do like it?"  
  
"Of course. Angel, it looks great."  
  
"Thanks. I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not. I thought I'd go with something different. I'm a mother now, I can't have that long colored hair. I mean how would I look walkin into his preschool to pick him up with purple, blue, black, red, and green hair?" I laughed as I flopped onto the couch.  
  
"Well, sounds like you've had a busy day then," he sighed.  
  
"Yeah, but I think you and I have some time to do one more thing," I winked at him. He gave me a sly grin and threw me over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs. He threw me on the bed, leaning over me. He kissed my cheek, my neck, and then my lips. He rolled off me and I rested my head on his chest, both of us falling asleep for the rest of our peaceful alone time.  
  
***************  
  
"Is Nero finally asleep?" Jeff asked as we met up with each other in the hall.  
  
"Yeah, Amy's looking over him for me. Shane and I have to figure something else out. We can't bring him on the road like this. He's only 6 months old. I feel like a horrible mother for putting him through all this. And this is just my first nite back," I sighed as a chill ran down my spin. He laughed as he pulled me into his body and rubbed my bare arms. I wasn't exactly dressed for cold weather, in a pair of aqua UFO hipster pants and a cut up white wife-beater.  
  
"Cold?"  
  
"Just slightly. I think having a child really fucked with my body temperature," I laughed.  
  
"Let's get out there," he shook his head as we walked towards the gorilla position.  
  
'Resurrection........is for those...........who didn't get it right - the first time..........  
  
Eternal salvation suffers from inflation!!  
  
Sinner!'  
  
Jeff and I bounced out onto the stage. We grinned at each other and then smirked at the crowd. We started down the ramp and pyro shot off with each step we took. The arena went dark and the music stopped.  
  
'the lord is my weapon - i shall shoot pawns  
  
womyn is a devil - (your) GOD IS A FRAUD  
  
everyone u knew - everything u've ever done  
  
suffer for your freedom - RISE & OVERCOME'  
  
Suddenly pyro shot off out of the posts as we were seen standing in the middle of the ring.  
  
'say whut u need to save your soul  
  
but leave your religion at the door  
  
we're smoking all of Krsna's weed  
  
eye'm sick of these weak anarchies  
  
u see me as a place to make a bruise  
  
but in my reality eye'm a slave to the muse  
  
fuck those hypocrites - together we'll fight  
  
the tyranny of squares - SQUIGGLES UNITE'  
  
I grabbed the microphone from Lilian and motioned for the music to be cut. The crowd was cheering for the time being, but I was about ready to turn on them all.  
  
"I'm back!" I exclaimed for a pop. I started laughing and shook my head. "But unfortunately I had to come back on this nite, here, in San Diego." The crowd started to boo, unsure of what was happening. "Please, don't strain yourselves. Booing and cheering will only hurt your simple minds." I grinned. "Anyways, onto business as I've given you all nice warm butterflies." They started to chant, though quiet, I could hear pieces of bitch and slut. I continued, seeming un-phased. "I'm sick and tired of the crap that's been going on in this business while I was gone! Shane and the Nowhere Kids just died out, allowing Evolution to become the successful faction here! If I hadn't been taken out by Baby, I would have taken us all the way to the top! Shane, you're nothing but a coward. What happened to the man we all knew?! We had faith in you Shane. You turned your back on us when you let Triple H pin you at No Mercy! But thank God Stephanie is a worse leader than you! Allowing her old feelings for Triple H to get the best of her, destroying Evolution as well. The whole reason we put together the Nowhere Kids was so that the world would realize that there's more than just one type of person! That there's a whole other group. And that was all destroyed when the McMahon siblings get into their little tiff."  
  
"Angel, you little bitch," Edge sneered as he walked out, Matt right behind him, both carrying their tag team belts. "You come back here and think you can run the place? You can't. You're nothing more than just a little crybaby."  
  
"Edge, shut your hole," Jeff growled.  
  
"Little brother, I would think it best for you to be the one to shut your hole as you so nicely have put it," Matt laughed. "You're just a whipped little boy. Angel has you wrapped around her little finger. She says jump, you say how the hell high? You've lost your touch Jeff."  
  
"Oh that's bull Matt. I can't help it if Jeff happens to like me better than you. You've treated him like crap for too many years. I can't help it if he wanted a nicer touch," I winked.  
  
"You really are a slut. Just yesterday I was hearing how you were with Batista all nite," Edge said.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So? You're playing my brother and all he can do is smile up at you with this goofy grin."  
  
"Hey, we're not married. I can be with who I want, when I want, and more and importantly, HOW I want," I laughed.  
  
"You think you're so good, don't you? You think you're just the best here," Edge shook his head.  
  
"Yeah, actually, I am pretty fond of myself," I grinned.  
  
"That's what I thought. Well, we're here to give you both a lesson and put you back in your place. On the lower pedestal of the business," Matt replied.  
  
"Oh? And how are you going to do that? Slap us with rulers?" I said pretending to cower in the corner.  
  
"No, you might like that too much," Edge smirked getting a crazy pop from the crowd. I crossed my arms and glared at the two. "A match. Not tonite, cause I know you're rusty from being out for a YEAR. But next week. In my home town, Toronto."  
  
"You're on," Jeff growled. The tag team champions nodded at us and walked to the back. Jeff and I exited to chants of slut and asshole.  
  
"Can you believe that this is my last title run?" Adam smiled as we met up with him and Matt in the hall.  
  
"I don't want you to retire," I pouted.  
  
"It's not like you'll never see me kiddo. I'm going to be a part of the creative team."  
  
"I know, but it won't be the same," I said hugging him tightly before disappearing into the Diva's locker room. I walked right to Nero and held him in my arms. He yawned and smiled up at me. "I love you sweetie." I placed him in his travel play pen to play a bit while I took a shower. But I couldn't help feeling like I might be losing someone in my life.  
  
**********************  
  
"Shane, we can't keep bringing Nero with us like this! He's much too young!" I argued with Shane as we stood in the kitchen late one nite.  
  
"That's why we give him to his grandparents or Gil!"  
  
"And see him like twice a week?! God Shane! He'll forget who we are! We'll never see him grow up!"  
  
"Well what do you want to do?! Quit the WWE?"  
  
"No, yes, I don't know. But Shane, he needs to be on some sort of schedule and we do things so sporadically with him. He's going to get confused."  
  
"I'm not quitting if that's what you're thinking!"  
  
"Shane, that's not what I'm thinking!"  
  
"So you'll quit? You'll quit a job you've been dying to get back to since you had to go off on pregnancy leave?"  
  
"No, Jesus Shane! You're jumping to conclusions."  
  
"Well now I'm getting confused Casey. Because I feel that you want one of us to quit. But you won't confess who it is that should be the one to lose their job!"  
  
"GOD!" I screamed. "Fuck Shane! I'm not saying any of that! We need to work out some sort of schedule so that one of us is home more than 2 days a week!"  
  
"You know that won't happen. You're one of the top Divas, hell, wrestlers, and I'm not too far under you, if I'm under you at all! We'll just have to deal with seeing Nero less or having him travel with us more!" Shane yelled as Nero started to cry. I shook my head at Shane and both took off for his room. I smiled at Nero and reached into his crib. My smile faded as I felt how warm he was. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't know. He's warm, Shane. Very warm," I said handing Shane his son as he continued to cry, sounding more and more congested.  
  
"Here, I'll call the doctor," he said handing Nero back to me.  
  
"Shhh," I whispered as I sat in the rocker, holding him in my arms, and rocking back and forth. I started to sing a song that I knew was one of my favorites growing up, and I was amazed at how much of the song I really remembered. "So help me if you can. I've got to get back to the House at Pooh Corner by one. You'd be surprised there's so much to be done. Count all the bees in the hive. Chase all the clouds from the sky. Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh."  
  
Shane walked in, the phone in his hand, and smiled at us as Nero started to calm down. I looked up, realizing the light from the hall was being blocked. "He, um, he said he should be fine. Just give him some baby aspirin. If he's still like this in the morning we should go in." I nodded and put Nero back in his crib.  
  
"It's hard to explain how a few precious things. Seem to follow throughout all our lives. After all's said and done I was watching my son sleeping there with my bear by his side. So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"," Shane sang with me as we made sure Nero was falling back to sleep.  
  
"So about that fight we were having," Shane said as we walked into the hall.  
  
"Shane, just forget it," I sighed as I started walking towards our bedroom.  
  
"Angel?" he called after me. I turned to him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too. But we have to figure something out, eventually," I said. I turned and walked into the bedroom, ready for bed.  
  
"Casey, as long as you're happy and Nero's happy. I'll do whatever it takes for us to stay together," Shane said.  
  
"Shane, we're always going to be together. We've made it through the first year of our marriage. We've made it through 6 months of having a baby. We can make it through ANY thing. And as long as I'm with you, I could never not be happy," I smiled at him as he wrapped me up in his arms. 


	33. My Immortal

A/N: This is a short A/N cause this is a VERY important chapter. So I just wanna get right to it. But here's a warning. Get your tissues. And I'm COMPLETELY serious. If some of ya'll cried in a few of those other chapters, you'll be balling with this one. Hell, I even cried while typing it. Here it is.  
  


* * *

  
'I'm so tired of being here  
  
Suppressed by all my childish fears'  
  
I held Shane's hand tightly as we walked into the funeral home. I tried hard to put on a brave face, but when I saw his casket I broke. Shane held me up, pushing me forward. We sat down next to Crystal and Shannon and focused our attention to the front. Matt turned around in his seat and looked back at me. His eyes were red and for the first time ever, I witnessed brave Matthew Moore Hardy crying. I put my hand up to my mouth and shook my head.  
  
'And if you have to leave  
  
I wish that you would just leave'  
  
'He loved you,' Matt mouthed to me before turning back around in his seat.  
  
I'm sure you're all confused as to what's going on, so let me take you back. Back 3 days ago to Survivor Series, a nite that will haunt me for the rest of my life.  
  
''Cause your presence still lingers here  
  
And it won't leave me alone'  
  
From the moment I woke up that day, I knew it was going to be bad. Nero was putting up a massive fuss and his father wasn't being much help either. Shane knew Jeff and I were having a major match that nite and I needed all the concentration I could get. But Shane decided that leaving me with Nero at the arena to go spend time with Jay was better. Nero was crying and just throwing one of the biggest fits imaginable when Jeff walked in.  
  
"Whoa, kid, the ears," he smiled picking up his Godson. Nero sniffled and a large smile grew on his face.  
  
"Are you kidding me?!" I exclaimed at Nero's sudden silence. "I've been trying for an hour to quiet him."  
  
"What can I say? I've got the magic touch," Jeff smirked.  
  
"Jeff," Nero garbled. Jeff placed a kiss on his forehead and set him on the bench.  
  
'These wounds won't seem to heal  
  
This pain is just too real  
  
There's just too much that time cannot erase'  
  
"I just came to get you for the basic match run through with Adam and Matt," Jeff said.  
  
"How would you like me to do that?! Shane's left me to hang with Jay," I replied.  
  
"He and Jay are hanging out by the ring babe." I sighed angrily and Jeff picked Nero up once again. We walked to the ring and sure enough, Shane was sitting in one of the seats jabbering away with Jay. He smiled at Jeff and I, and happily took Nero from Jeff.  
  
So the four of us spent about an hour going over things for the tag team ladder match. Which would be Adam's last wrestling match ever. He was going out with a bang. Adam and I leaned on the ropes and watched Matt and Jeff plan out one specific spot, a side affect off the top of the ladder. The ring bounced slightly as the brothers landed on the mat. Jeff cried out in pain and we all rushed towards him as he struggled to his feet.  
  
'When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears'  
  
"Oh my God! You alright bro?" Matt asked crawling towards the fallen Hardy.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine, just help me up," Jeff said, his voice strained with pain.  
  
"Maybe you should go see Nick," I suggested knowing he'd refuse, as Adam pulled Jeff up.  
  
"No, I'll be fine. Just landed wrong."  
  
"Jeff, maybe we shouldn't do that spot. You're back is already fucked. We don't need to make it worse," Matt said sounding very concerned for his little brother.  
  
"I'll be fine for the show," Jeff argued as he rolled out of the ring by himself.  
  
"Matt, be careful with him tonite. I have a horrible feeling something's gonna go wrong," I said. Matt shook his head, never one to take my intuitions lightly. I'd been right about them one too many times.  
  
'I held your hand through all of these years  
  
But you still have  
  
All of me'  
  
"I will. He's making me nervous lately," Matt sighed tightening his ponytail.  
  
"Nero, what's the matter?" Shane questioned as he moved towards the ring, the one year old making a ruckus much like last time.  
  
"Sounds to me like Nero inherited one of your best traits," Matt smiled as he and I climbed out of the ring.  
  
"Best?" I laughed taking my blue eyed baby from Shane. "I don't know what's so good about it."  
  
"Casey, it's been very helpful in the past and you know it," Matt pointed out.  
  
I rolled my eyes as Nero rested his head on my shoulder and sobbed. I knew Matt was right about Nero somehow getting that one special trait from me. But the closer to show time it got, the worse my feeling got.  
  
Before the show, Jeff had quieted Nero down. The only time he seemed to be calm was when he heard Jeff, saw Jeff, or played with Jeff. And then the big match, the Survivor Series main event, was only 10 minutes away. I don't know how, but Nero knew this and wouldn't calm down for anything or anyone, not even Jeff could work his magic touch.  
  
'You used to captivate me  
  
By your resonating light'  
  
As Jeff and I walked towards the gorilla position I grabbed my stomach and bet over as a sharp pain suddenly hit me. Jeff helped me stand up straight and gave me a worried look.  
  
"Are you okay? Do we need to get help?" he worried.  
  
"Not yet," I muttered continuing to hold my side as the pain hadn't subsided.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jeff, please, PLEASE, be careful tonite. Don't do anything crazy. I have this extremely bad feeling and have had it all day. Plus I think that's half Nero's problem," I said.  
  
'Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
  
Your face it haunts'  
  
"Case, I'll be fine. The match is going to go off without a hitch!" Jeff smiled placing a soft kiss on my lips.  
  
"I love you Jeff," I said a tear slipping down my cheek.  
  
"I love you too," he replied tilting his head to the side. "You're really worried aren't you?"  
  
"So much!" I exclaimed throwing my arms around his neck. He sighed and held me comfortingly till we were being rushed to the ring.  
  
'My once pleasant dreams  
  
Your voice it chased away  
  
All the sanity in me'  
  
As "Sacrilege" played, the pit in my stomach got bigger and big with fear. I tried to put a sarcastic grin on my face, and play off the heel role that Jeff and I was still in. Matt and Adam stood in the ring waiting for us. Jeff went to do his normal walk under the ladder, but I pushed him out of the way and took that walk instead. The match started and everything seemed to be going fine. Matt and Jeff pulled off the side affect without any problems and I felt somewhat relieved, though there was that lingering feeling of death. Yeah, I said it, death. There was like a dark cloud hanging over the ring that just wouldn't go away. The match was almost over, in the middle of the ring was a set up used before in a ladder match, two ladders with a table on top of them, being used as a platform to get to the belts. Matt had set this up before I had pushed him off, with me falling along with him. Matt and I battled it outside of the ring, I had him down with a drop kick. I stood, panting and dripping with sweat, I brushed a strand of hair that had been pulled out of my ponytail, and watched the action that was going on in the ring. Jeff and Adam were climbing the ladders. The met each other in the middle of the table and started delivering punches to each other. Jeff managed to push Adam off the table, but instead of going for the belts, he went for a Swanton. My eyes grew and my mouth dropped open before Jeff could even do this very routine move. A move that they had done during our practice and had come out perfectly, but there was something wrong with this one.  
  
'These wounds won't seem to heal  
  
This pain is just too real  
  
There's just too much that time cannot erase'  
  
"NO!!!!!!!!!" I screamed just as Jeff left the table. I scrambled into the ring as Matt started to get up, looking very bewildered on the whole situation. Adam had moved and Jeff landed on the mat harshly. "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed out louder as I became hysterical. I crawled to Jeff's side and stared down at his body. Matt and Adam glanced at each other, shaking their heads before joining me. Jeff's body was still, his eyes closed. I lifted his head and put it in my lap, running my hand through his multi-colored hair.  
  
'When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears'  
  
"I love you Casey. I'll always, watch over you," he struggled to speak through his pain.  
  
I leaned down and pressed my face to his as his body went limp. "No," I cried shaking my head.  
  
'I held your hand through all of these years  
  
But you still have  
  
All of me'  
  
"Casey, what's goin on?" Matt questioned in a whisper as the crowd started to make noises of worry. I just sat there crying, shaking my head. Matt looked down Jeff's body and dropped to the mat. He started hyperventilating as Adam quickly motioned for the paramedics. They quickly ran out as I looked up at the ceiling and started to cry harder.  
  
"Jeff, please, come back to me. Please. I love you, don't leave me," I cried as I was being pulled away from Jeff's body. Adam held me close to his body, making sure I didn't jump on Jeff as the paramedics checked him out.  
  
"We have to get him out of here. It's probably too late, but he needs medical assistance immediately!" I heard one of them say as he was placed on a stretcher and carried away.  
  
"Attention everyone. We have had an emergency. Jeff Hardy has been seriously injured. This was NOT planned. He is being rushed to the hospital. I'm sorry but the show is over. We'll give you an update on his condition tomorrow nite on RAW," Vince McMahon announced as he stood at the top of the ramp. The crowd was unsure of what to think of this. Was it another storyline put on by Vinny Mac? Or was this the real deal? Some walked out crying, fearing the worst. Others just laughed, feeling that it was a put on.  
  
I fell limp in Adam's arms as he struggled to keep me up. It wasn't long before Shane ran out to me. He wrapped his arms around me as tightly as he possibly could, holding me to his chest. Matt, who was still kneeling in the same spot he was when he realized the damage done to Jeff, looked as white as a sheet, a vague look on his face.  
  
As we rushed to the hospital, breaking the land speed records, I knew I had to prepare myself for the worst. Shane held me the whole way to the hospital, Nero was being watched by Stephanie McMahon. Matt and Amy sat in the front, Amy driving, seeing as she, besides Shane, was the only one capable of driving any place at that point in time. Finally, the bright lights of the emergency room came into view. We ran into the hospital and Matt found a doctor.  
  
'I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone'  
  
Matt walked towards us, a look of dread in his eyes, causing me to break down. I fell to the floor and shook my head as I rocked back and forth, whispering, "No, no, I love him, he can't leave me," over and over again. Matt fell down to me, holding me, rocking with me. Amy fell into Shane's body, crying. "Can I see him?" I questioned looking into Matt brown eyes.  
  
"Casey, there's nothing there. It's just a body. There's not soul, there's no Jeff, there's no life. What would be the purpose to seeing him?" he asked.  
  
"Peace Matt. For a sense of peace. I need to see him," I cried out.  
  
"Matt, just let her see him. Let her say her goodbyes," Shane sniffled trying hard to keep his own tears at bay.  
  
"Fine, I'll get the doctor to take you in," he sighed.  
  
"You sure you want to do this?" Amy asked. I nodded at her and stood on my shaking legs. I fallowed the doctor, leaving the others in the lobby. "Baby, maybe you should go see him. To say your goodbyes."  
  
"What's the point? He's already gone," Matt sighed walking out to the car.  
  
"Now, are you sure you want to do this?" the doctor asked me.  
  
"Yes, I am," I answered as he opened the door for me.  
  
"Come out whenever you're ready," the doctor instructed. I nodded and he closed the door behind me.  
  
'But though you're still with me'  
  
I looked at the bed. Jeff's life less body laid there. I walked towards him, taking his cold hand in mine. I ran my hand down his cold face and closed my eyes as I reached his lips. "Why?" I cried. "Why did you leave me? I can't be without you! You're my rock. You said you'd always be there! You lied!" I threw my body on his, crying on his chest. I closed my eyes and thought for a second I could feel his hot breath on my neck, but when I sat up, he was still as lifeless as he was when I had walked in there. "I need you Jeff. How can I do this without you? How can I live without you? I loved you so much and you leave me! I hate you so much!!" I looked down at his face and smiled. "You said I was strong. You told me I didn't need you. That I could do it all on my own. Look at me. If I was so strong, would I have broken down like this? If I was so strong, would I be so hurt by this?" I ran my hand threw his hair, my tears dripping onto his face. "I want to hate you. I want to hate you for leaving me. I want to hate you for this. But I can't. I love you so much Jeff. You always believed in me. Even when I was positive I couldn't go on. You always believed in me. Pushing me forward when my legs wouldn't move. You always believed in me. Never letting me fall. You always caught me before I hit the ground. Who's going to catch me now? Who's going to believe in me like you did?" I tilted my head and wiped my cheeks. "How am I going to calm Nero down? You were everything to him. He loved you Jeff. He loved you so much." I kissed his lips and shook my head. "I'll never let him forget you. You'll always be in his heart. You'll always be with him." I brought his hand up to my face. "I'll never forget you. I'll never let you go. Jeff, you were my knight in shining armor. You rescued me. You saved me." I started to cry, rivers, for tears as I laid my head down on his chest. "And now you get to see our daughter. Tell Rune I love her. And that I think of her always. And tell her that I'm so very sorry that she wasn't able to experience life. Tell her that no matter what, she's beautiful." I kissed his chest. "You get to be back with your mother. Tell her that she had the best sons ever. Tell her that I'm sorry I never got a chance to meet her. Let her know that even though I didn't know her, I'm sure I would have thought of her as my own mother. Let her know that I love her."  
  
'I've been alone all along'  
  
"Angel?" Shane spoke as he walked into the hospital room. I looked up at him, unable to speak. "You've been in here for an hour. We should go." I held up my hand, telling him to give me one minute. He nodded and left me.  
  
"Well, I have to go. Jeff, I love you more than anything in this world. I'm going to miss you so much. I love you. Goodbye Jeff. Goodbye my knight. Goodbye my prince charming. Goodbye my rock." I kissed his lips once again and left the hospital room.  
  
So now you know what happened. Jeff is dead. Apparently the mixture of landing wrong and the impact to the mat killed him, and then combined with all his back and neck problems it was all just a deadly concoction. I haven't been able to sleep since that nite. The replays of his last minute just keep playing in my mind. It was going to take a lot to get over him. And to tell you the truth, I probably won't ever get over him. Jeff will always be remembered, for his kind heart, his soft words, his talent in the ring and out, and for just being him. If truth be known, we all carry a bit of Jeff in us. We just don't let it out like he did. That was one of the best things about him. He let me, be me. He helped me get the real me out. And I'll always thank him for that.  
  
'When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears'  
  
"And now Casey Helms would like to say a few words." I took a deep breath and walked up to the podium.  
  
"God, this is so hard for me. I knew Jeff probably better than his family did. He showed me things that I didn't know existed. People who didn't know Jeff, were a bit taken back by him. He just was so different. He wasn't like everyone else. That's what made him special. Because unlike everyone else, he was himself. He didn't hide the fact that he was different. We're all different, but he embraced it," I smiled. "I loved Jeff. I LOVE Jeff. To tell you the truth, he was my first real love. I didn't know love until I met him. He and Matt took me in. Helped me, when I thought no one cared. And I'm forever grateful. Without Jeff, I wouldn't be here today. He probably WOULD be here." I cried. "I'm sorry. Anyways, Jeff will always remain our hearts." I looked over at his closed casket and choked back my tears. "Jeff will always be in MY heart." I cried before I practically ran back to Shane.  
  
"We will now proceed to the cemetery for the burial." Everyone rose from their seats and left the building.  
  
"He would have liked that," Gil cried as he hugged me.  
  
"It was all true," I replied.  
  
"Yes, it was. Casey, he loved you. He loved you more than life itself. You may think that he saved you, but in reality, you're the one that saved him. Thank you so much Casey for being in his life," Gil kissed my cheek and walked towards the car where Matt and Amy waited.  
  
"Are you okay?" Shane asked wrapping his arm around me.  
  
"Shane, I'll never be okay," I answered truthfully.  
  
'I held your hand through all of these years  
  
But you still have  
  
All of me'  
  
It took a lot for me to get out of the car at the cemetery. I knew that this meant it was the end. Once his casket went into the ground, he'd be gone. I didn't want to face the facts. Everyone stood around the burial site, Jeff's stone was placed at the head, and just like him, it was extremely colorful. I laid a rose on his casket and bowed my head. 'Jeff, if you can hear me, you still have time to jump out of this thing. To jump out and say, gotcha.' I looked up at the heavens and shook my head. I placed a kiss on the casket and moved back into Shane's arms as we watched them lower Jeff into the ground. I read over Jeff's tombstone and smiled.  
  
'Jeffrey N. Hardy  
  
Aug. 31, 1977- Nov. 21, 2010  
  
He was a loving brother and son. And a friend to all. His life will not be forgotten, especially to those who knew him well. He was loved and will always be loved. Live for the Moment. And remember his words, "Don't think you can, know you can! Your human body is the most impressive tool that you will ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you can always control something. Your body- use it........amuse it.......because one day........you're going to lose it."'  
  


* * *

  
A/N2: Yeah, I know, death to the girl that killed off Jeff Hardy. And no, this wasn't a dream. So don't expect him to come back to life. Or at least not in that context. And of course you all know the song I used, "My Immortal" by Evanescence. And yes, there will be a couple more chapters to this story. I'm going to concentrate on finishing this one, while I have the inspiration for it, before I go off to do my other stories. And this chapter was very hard for me to do. I fear death like the plague. Lol I pretty much avoid it at all costs. Cemeteries, funerals, all of that stuff just wigs me out. So writing something that was based on that was especially hard. I think that's it. Hope you all, hmm, well, it seems like wrong to say I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. So, um, hmmm. Just leave me a review. Lol 


	34. Believe

A/N: Alright, what did I do wrong this time? lol How in the blue hell did I confuse some of you? If this story started in 2002 and it is now 2010, and the first story went over, oh, probably about 2 years, then that would mean the second to the last chapter would be around 2004..............that last chapter took place two years later, making it 2006. And now I think I'm getting confused. Lol Anyways............Without You, took place during those 2 years I skipped. So how would Jeff and Casey be married if that was their wedding? Their wedding got fucked up because of Casey cheating on Jeff with Shane. Casey and Jeff were never meant to be together. You can't have two people be pretty much exactly a like and have their relationship work out. You need some sort of differences so that you can learn from each other. That's what a relationship is. That's why Casey and Shane are married. Because they have so many differences from each other. They're learning from each other. That wedding at the end of Runaway was a dream. She always dreamt about Jeff. So that was one of her dreams. Oye, I have a funny feeling that didn't fix the confusion. Lol But that's the way it works. I'm sorry about the couple of you bein confused. I thought I had made it clear. And I had a hard time thinking of how to follow up that one last chapter. This one isn't anywhere's near as good as I had hoped or as good as the previous chapter, but I had to go someplace, right? lol I think there's like 2 or MAYBE 3 chapters, including this one, left to this series. Anyways, here's the next chapter.  
  
****************  
  
Jeff's music was playing the stereo and I sat on the couch staring off into space, holding the only thing that I could count on to not leave me, my Simba. I stopped crying awhile ago and now had a stoic look on my face. It had been a week since his death and I hadn't left the house, except that one day for his funeral. I kept wishing that I would wake up and this would all be just another one of my crazy dreams, but I knew it really wasn't. I hadn't had one nite's sleep, every time I tried to sleep, I could see him falling to his death and I could hear his last words playing over and over again in my head.  
  
"Awe, baby, I hate seeing you like this," Shane sighed as he walked in front of me. He knelt on the floor and put his hands on my knees. "Let me take you out. Nero is with my parents. We have the whole day to our selves." I sat there quietly, just listening to Jeff's voice on the CD. He reached up and pushed a chunk of my brown hair behind my ear and moved up to kiss my forehead. "Baby, I'm here if you need me or want to talk. I love you." He stood and walked away, running his hand through his long dark brown hair.  
  
"Shane," I choked out. He turned around and smiled at me. "I want to get a tattoo."  
  
He started laughing and walked towards me. "Where the hell you gonna put it?" he questioned. "You have one on your ankle, one on your arm, one on your hip, and technically 2 on your back."  
  
"It doesn't matter where I put it. I want it," I said angrily.  
  
"Sweetie, what for?"  
  
"Jeff. In memory of Jeff."  
  
"You don't need a tattoo for that."  
  
"I feel that I do. Why the hell are you fighting with me about this?!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Casey, I just, God! I don't understand how you're feeling. I don't understand what's going through your head. I don't understand anything about you right now! You've blocked me AND Nero out of your life!" he yelled.  
  
"Jeff understood me," I said softly.  
  
"Jeff is dead. He's gone Casey. He's NOT coming back!"  
  
"You think I don't know this?!" I cried as I stood up, throwing my Simba on the floor. "You think I haven't tried to get past this?!"  
  
"Casey, I'm scared! I don't know what to do anymore!"  
  
"I lost my best friend! And all you can think about is you?!"  
  
"No! I'm worried about YOU!"  
  
"All I want is one tattoo. To remember Jeff by!"  
  
"Fine! Get the damn tattoo! But don't fuckin expect me to go with you!" he yelled. "God Casey! How the hell am I supposed to fight a ghost?!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"For YEARS, I've been fighting Jeff for you! I knew how to fight a person, but I can't fight a ghost. You have loved him and never have been able to get over him! And now that he's dead, I can't fight him anymore. I don't want to lose you!"  
  
"You never had to fight him to get me!"  
  
"Yes I did! Casey, it was on going fight! And I thought I had won when you married me, but now that Jeff's dead, I'm not so sure that I've won. I'm afraid he has."  
  
"Shane I've always loved you!"  
  
"Maybe so! But Jeff always had this hold on you that I can't break through! And this hold has gotten stronger!" he yelled.  
  
"I can't handle this anymore! Who the fuck am I supposed to run to when you and I have problems?! He's fuckin gone!! I have to leave. I can't live like this anymore," I cried as I started to run for the door. Shane quickly ran after me and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me back into the living room. I struggled against his hold, but he wouldn't let me free.  
  
"No, I'm not letting you go," Shane cried.  
  
"I'm leaving you Shane, I can't handle this anymore!"  
  
"No, we can work through this. Casey, I'm not going to let you die," he cried, his grip getting stronger. I stopped fighting him and relaxed in his arms, letting his words soak into me.  
  
'Die?' I thought to myself.  
  
"Nero and I need you too much. I know you miss Jeff. But suicide is not the way to get him back."  
  
"Shane, I was never going to kill myself," I said softly. He let me go and I turned to face him.  
  
"But your words," he said wiping his cheeks.  
  
"I have Jeff's house keys. I was going to move into his house. I wasn't going to kill myself. I swear that to you," I cried.  
  
"I'm so sorry Casey," he said pulling me into his body. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his chest. "I don't want you to do that either."  
  
"Shane, what if this isn't going to work out?"  
  
"Casey, we've made it through 2 years of marriage, a baby, and fights about work, I think we can safely say that we're gonna make this work," Shane smiled.  
  
"I just miss him so much."  
  
"I know you do. But Casey, he would have wanted you to move on. To get on with your life. To celebrate the fact that you're alive."  
  
"I can't," I shook my head.  
  
"Yes you can. I believe in you," he smiled. I looked up at him and I could have sworn I could see a faint speck of Jeff's emerald green eyes in his normal brown ones. I smiled slightly. "If it means that much to you, and if you think it'll be easier for you to get over this death, I'll go with you to get that tattoo."  
  
"Thank you. Shane that means so much to me."  
  
"I love you. And I don't want to lose you because I'm being an asshole."  
  
"I love you too," I sighed as he kissed me.  
  
*********************  
  
I was in Jeff's house, although it felt like a dream. I felt like this wasn't happening, that I wasn't there, that he was still alive. I knew that wasn't true in the back of my mind, but the house just held so much of him. Shane had spent most of the morning convincing me to go with him and Nero sledding, instead of doing this. But I knew that this was part of the grieving process, or at least it was for me. Currently, I was sitting on Jeff's bed, packing up some of his clothes. I pulled out one of his homemade visors, and smiled. I put it on my head, and sighed deeply, wishing he was there to remove it and place it on his own head. A tear slipped down my cheek, but I continued with the packing.  
  
"Sweetie, you know, you don't have to be here. I can do this by myself," Gil said bringing in an empty box.  
  
"No, I want to be here. I have to be here," I said putting the visor in the new box.  
  
"Ya know, you can take whatever you want. Any of his clothes, jewelry, whatever, it's yours," Gil smiled putting his hand on my shoulder.  
  
"Thanks. Ya know I don't understand how you're so calm and colleted about all of this. I'm fighting the tears," I said.  
  
"I guess I had practice when I lost Ruby. Once you lose one loved one, you can kinda get over another death, no matter who, a little easier. It'll get easier for you. I promise," Gil placed a kiss on my cheek and squeezed my shoulder. He stood and started to walk out of the bedroom.  
  
"Dad," I said. He turned around, a beaming smile on his face. "Thank you for everything. You all brought me into your lives, and took care of me. If it wasn't for you, I probably would be dead by now." I started to cry and he walked towards me.  
  
"You have so much life in you. I always, from the first day I met you, thought of you as my own. My own daughter. We've all been through a lot together. Stuff that only a true family goes through. You have one of the biggest families ever. The wrestling family, Mark's family, and this family. I love you just as much as I love my boys, um, Matt, well.............." he trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, I get you. I wanted you to know that, I got a new a tattoo. One for Jeff. He'll always be a part of me, and would have without the tattoo, but now everyone will know that he's with me," I smiled pulling up the leg of my jeans to show off a purple, green, black, and blue written Imagi-Nation tattoo going around my right ankle.  
  
"That's great. Ya know he was always proud of you. Of the person you were and who you've become. He always spoke about you in such a great light. He never had a negative thing to say, even when you two had your problems. It was a real connection. I'm glad you were able to be in my son's life."  
  
I nodded and went back to the packing. Gil left the room and went into another to do other packing. I was standing at Jeff's dresser and started sifting through his jewelry. There was a black velvet box stuffed away, out of sight, which I picked up when I had moved some of the crap he had cluttered around it. I opened it and nearly dropped it on the floor when I saw what it was.  
  
"He kept it?" I whispered to myself. I pulled out the small round piece of jewelry and slid it on my finger, it was the engagement ring he had given me, that I had given back to him, the nite of the fucked up wedding.  
  
"Casey, when you're almost done, there's a tape here for you to watch," Gil said as he walked into the bedroom. He saw the look on my face and curiously walked closer. "What's the matter?"  
  
"The engagement ring," I spoke softly.  
  
"Oh my," Gil said shaking his head.  
  
"What do I do with it?"  
  
"Well, it was intended for you, so I would think you should keep it. I think it'd want it that way. I told you to take whatever you wanted. So wear this close to your heart," Gil said with a faint smile on his face.  
  
"Yeah, I have a box of stuff, right there," I said pointing to the corner of the room.  
  
"Good, he'd want you to have whatever you wanted. Um, but about this tape that I have. It's specifically for you, but I'm curious as to what it says. Would you mind watching it here?" Gil questioned. I shook my head and we headed downstairs. We relaxed on the couch and began to watch the tape.  
  
Jeff appeared on the screen with a large smile on his face. "Is it rolling?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, go man," Shannon was heard in the background.  
  
"Alright, um, Casey, this tape is for you. I know that I can't live forever with the way I wrestle. I know that something will eventually go wrong. When, where, how? I don't know. But trust in me when I say that it will. So if you're watching this right now, it means that I'm gone. I love you Casey. I love you more than life it self. I don't think you realize the importance you've had on my life. But trust me, you've done a lot for me. I know this seems a little cryptic, ya know, making a tape announcing my death. A little Tupacish, I suppose," he laughed.  
  
"A little?!" Shannon yelled.  
  
"Dude, you're just supposed to run the camera. Keep your little thoughts to yourself," Jeff rolled his eyes.  
  
"Sorry dude."  
  
"Anyways, I'm leaving you pretty much everything. The house is yours. You're little haven or getaway or whatever. It's yours. The dirt bike track, our little place, the studio, it's all yours. I really don't want my home, the home that I spent so much time into, being sold to someone who wouldn't appreciate all of it's little quirks. I'm also leaving you the dirt bikes. Well, all of them but one which will go to Shan, cause he's a little cry baby."  
  
"I know how your gonna die man. I'm gonna slam this camera over your head!" Shannon threatened.  
  
"Well, anyways, on to Nero. I love him Case. I really do. I'm so happy and proud to be his Godfather. I couldn't wish for anything better. He's going to be a great person when he gets older. I always carry his picture with me. I thank you and Shane so much for letting me be in his life the way I am. All I wish for, is for him to remember me. To not forget who I am. To remember that he had a loving Godfather. So please, please, speak about me to him. Have my Dad give you some of our wrestling tapes from over the years so that he's able to watch me. See me, hear me, whatever. I want to be part of his life, no matter what. And if all I can be is a tape, then so be it."  
  
"He's pretty much predicting his death," I sobbed. "He was crazy. No body does that."  
  
"Um, babe, you and I will go down in history as the couple that should have been. If there was ever two people that were meant for each other, we pushed that to its limits. You were my counter part. Everything that I was missing, you were it. And I hope that I was it for you. I always loved you Case. From that first punch in the hotel room," he paused to laugh. "To today. We had so many problems. I still don't know why we had those problems. Maybe we were too much a like. Whatever it was, we always were friends in the end. And I couldn't wish for anything better than to have you for my friend. I'm always going to be your rock. From life to death to everything in between. I'll be there for you. You know where I am. Remember that."  
  
"Dude, wrap it up. The battery is dying," Shannon announced.  
  
"Well, this is my goodbye to you. I love you Casey. I love Nero. I'll always be with you. I'll always believe in you. You just need to believe in yourself," Jeff nodded at the camera and the screen went black.  
  
"Why would he make a tape like that?" I asked.  
  
"He knew he wasn't invincible."  
  
"But he knew he was gonna die."  
  
"Casey, he was crazy in that ring. He put his body on the line for his fans. You do the same."  
  
"Then should I be making a tape to say goodbye like he did?!"  
  
"No, that's not it. He knew that if he did die, that chances are, he'd never be able to say what he said in this tape. He's had a hell of a lot more years of putting his body on the line than you have."  
  
"Um, I think I'm gonna go," I said standing.  
  
"Are you going to be alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Um, why don't we pack up at a later time?"  
  
"Alright sweetie. Give Nero my love?"  
  
"Always," I smiled giving Gil a hug. I grabbed the stuff that I had packed up for myself and left Jeff's house. I couldn't go home though. I went someplace else, Jeff's cemetery.  
  
I walked up to his grave sight and knelt down on the lightly snow covered ground. I brushed the snow off of his tombstone and sighed. "I watched your tape," I started. "I wish I hadn't though. I would give up everything you gave me just to have you back here in my arms." I began to cry. "But I guess it doesn't work that way, does it?" I bowed my head and let my tears hit the ground. I suddenly felt a strange presence around me, it sent chills up and down my spine. I lifted my head quickly as I felt a hand on my shoulder. He was kneeling there in front of me, though very faded, with a smile on his face and his green eyes sparkling just as much as they ever did, maybe even more. "Jeff?" I gasped.  
  
"Shh, I don't have long to be here," he smiled putting his hand up to my cheek. "I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry. I'm happy. I'm healthy. I have no pains anymore. They're all gone."  
  
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" I questioned.  
  
"Somewhat. I know what you're afraid of. Don't be. I'm here for you, always. I'm never going to let you fall. Don't be afraid of death. I wasn't. Just know that anytime you fall, I'm going to be there to catch you. I'm not going to let you die. I'm always going to be watching over you."  
  
"I'd rather you were here instead."  
  
"Babe, it wasn't meant to be that way. You'll always have me. I'm not gone. Not completely."  
  
"I feel that you are."  
  
"Everytime you feel a chill in the air, no matter how warm it is, that's me. Everytime you feel eyes on you, that's me. Everytime you feel a touch of someone, that's me. You have me. You never lost me," he whispered.  
  
"I love you so much Jeff."  
  
"I know. And that's why I'm still here. I'm the ghost that stays with you," he said. "I have to go. But you'll always be able to talk to me when you need someone. I'm always gonna be your rock." He winked at me. He pulled my face closer to his and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I believe in you. And believe in me you should. I love you Casey." And with that he disappeared as quickly as he appeared. I took a deep breath, smiled slightly, and left for home.  
  
*********************  
  
"Casey, it's great to hear from you," Vince said as we spoke on the phone. "I'm so sorry about what happened with Jeff."  
  
"It's alright. I've moved on," I smiled. "I'm going to be alright. But um, I won't do anymore ladder matches, TLC matches, or anything like that. I just can't."  
  
"I understand that. We've banned the use of ladders. There have been too many injuries that have been caused from them. We can't risk losing anymore of our roster."  
  
"Vince, I have a baby. Nero means more to me than anything in this world. And as much as it kills me, I can't be wrestling like I am anymore. There's just too many risks involved. I can't leave Nero. I just can't do it."  
  
"I thought this might come up. I think the best thing you could do right now, is to take some time off. Come back when you're ready. No rush. And when you come back, we'll have a brand new story line for you. Though it'll be a complete 360 from what you're used to."  
  
"Alright, I think that's a good idea. Thank Vince."  
  
"No problem. You'll always have a place in my business," Vince said before we hung up.  
  
I sighed and walked into Nero's room. He was standing in his crib, a large smile on his face. "Jeff!" he exclaimed happily. I laughed as I picked him up. I looked around the room at all of the posters. Jeff was in every single one. Whether it be a Hardy Boyz poster, or a Bad Religion poster, or a Team Extreme old poster, a new Team Extreme poster, just him and me, or just him, he was there. And framed pictures of Jeff holding Nero were scattered around the room. Just a constant reminder to Nero that his Godfather was there and loved every minute he was with him.  
  
"Yeah, Jeff," I said. "You want Jeff?" Nero nodded at me and I carried him downstairs. I placed him on his play mat in front of the TV and pushed play on the VCR. The TV came alive with a classic Jeff match and Nero squealed happily. I kissed the top of Nero's head and walked away. "You wanted him to remember you? Well, how could he not?" I laughed as I looked up. 


	35. Just the Four of Us

A/N: When I was going to do this chapter, it was going to be the last one, but then I got to thinkin bout how much I don't wanna end this story. lol So I'm gonna try to prolong it as much as I possibly can. I'm sorry bout makin ya'll cry during that last chapter. It truly was not my intentions. But I'm glad it was written well enough to make people emotional, as weird as that may sound. Lol And is anyone else psyched about Soil's new CD?!!! Lol March 23rd!!! They're comin up here on St. Patrick's Day, but I think it's a 21+ show, so I can't go which sucks. Grrr Ah well. I'll just wait for the Godsmack concert April 16. And then Otep's new CD this summer..........damn, I don't have the money for all this shit! Lol Not much else to say. Here's the chapter.  
  
****************  
  
Shane and I snuggled up together in the hammock and looked up at the stars. His arms were wrapped around me protectively as my head rested on his bare chest. We listened to an almost 3 year old Nero's quiet snores, which he inherited from his father, on the baby monitor that I held tightly in my hands. I sighed happily as Shane placed a light kiss in my hair.  
  
"Ya know, I really love being retired," he said sounding very content.  
  
"I'm glad someone does. I hate it! I miss my baby!" I laughed.  
  
"Well, it's not that I don't miss you, but I feel, I don't know, refreshed. These past 3 months have been heaven. I love hanging out with my son. I missed that kind of interaction."  
  
"I know you did. But now I have to miss it," I replied. "It sucks being on the road without my boys."  
  
"Yeah, but you know what, you're doing so awesome. I think you've gotten better since we left."  
  
"Ya know, it's been almost 2 years since, well, you know, and it's just so hard for me to be without him by my side. But I'm glad that I didn't stick with Vince's original plan for me. I couldn't just stick to wrestling the Divas. That's not me, and the fans know that. Who the hell would believe that I would just give up everything I earned to fight them in bra and panties matches? You'd have to be pretty damn brain dead."  
  
"Well............." Shane joked.  
  
"Shane!" I exclaimed with a laugh. I sighed and looked up at the star that was designated as my own. "Do you think Jeff's watching us? Like right now?"  
  
"Well, I'd imagine he's watching you and Nero 24/7, baby," Shane answered.  
  
"Oh, I know he's watching me. I was doing a run through with Dave when I first got back into my normal routine and he put me up for his powerbomb and I just started freaking out. I yelled at him to put me down and everything. But I felt a hand on my back and instantly calmed down. I knew Jeff was right there. And that's when I realized that he wasn't going to let me get hurt," I smiled.  
  
"Then why ask questions when you already know the answers?"  
  
"Well, I guess like right now, is he up there watching us? I mean sitting on the stars? I know that they're just balls of gas millions of miles away. I know my physical science. Probably the one science class I was actually good at!" I laughed. "But I don't know. I guess I like to believe in something different. Like in the Lion King when Simba believes that the Kings of the past are up there. Maybe it's like that? Like in ancient times, that's where they believed heaven was. Among the stars. Maybe it's like that? I just like the thought that Jeff's up there, right now, sitting on the corner of my star, listening to Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. Do you think that's possible? Or am I just being an idiot?"  
  
"Baby, you can believe whatever you want to believe. You have this knack for being just, I don't know, so imaginative. That's one of the things I love about you. You believe what you want, and that's the right thing for you. Because it's all in your heart. I know that no matter how old you get, you're going to have this certain childish way about you. And I love that. It gives you an innocence that most people lost long before they reached 20! So I think, yes, it is possible for Jeff to be sitting on your star, watching you. And probably getting complaints from his neighbors for his music being too loud," Shane laughed.  
  
"It's amazing how he's still such a big part of my life. He's been gone for almost 2 years and there isn't a day that doesn't go by when I don't think about him."  
  
"Well, you walk into Nero's room and it's like a freakin shrine to the man," Shane laughed. "But besides that, he was always a big part of your life. He guided you through everything. And I'm now man enough to admit that he was your guardian angel."  
  
"I still miss him Shane," I said nuzzling my head into him.  
  
"I know you do. We all miss him. I don't think any of us thought that we'd miss him as much as we do. There's just that piece of color that's missing in our lives now. But I think it's coming back slowly the older Nero gets. He's got a lot of Jeff in him. You two didn't have an affaire did you?!" Shane grinned.  
  
"No, Nero is all you!" I laughed. "How come Nero knows that Jeff is his Godfather? He couldn't possibly remember that."  
  
"I think Nero is more skilled at things than we give him credit for. He speaks better than any 2 year old I've ever heard."  
  
"Yeah, that baby of ours is amazing," I smiled gazing up at my star, swearing that it had just winked at me.  
  
************************  
  
'KUAN!!  
  
its authentic, apocalyptic destroyer  
  
damaging challengers -- resurrection, disorder  
  
a monument of crisis - eye strikes this - your dead  
  
line my nest with your soul -- cleansed in bloodshed'  
  
"The fallowing match is scheduled for one fall and is for the WWE Hardcore Title. Entering the ring, the WWE Hardcore Champion, MYSTIC ANGEL!!  
  
'BATTLE READY!  
  
poets gonna take control  
  
BATTLE READY  
  
souls violate parole  
  
BATTLE READY  
  
violently invade your home  
  
-- breaking the bones   
  
OF THOSE WHO POSE'  
  
Dressed in a pair of black UFO hipsters and a black wife-beater, I slid into the ring, jumped up on the posts, and held up my belt to the crowd. I threw the belt over my left shoulder and looked up at the ceiling. I blew a kiss into the air and patted my right arm which was adorned with a rainbow colored band, as usual, in memory of Jeff.  
  
"Angel has held this title more times than any WWE superstar in history," Tazz said.  
  
"And this match is going to decide if she'll go down in history or be forced to give up the title to Jonah," Josh added.  
  
"Who ever wins the belt tonite will have it retired under their name. And will go down in history to be the number one hardcore champion in WWE history. That's right folks, tonite is the last nite you'll see anyone defending the WWE Hardcore title," Tazz said as Jonah slid into the ring.  
  
The ref held up the belt to the audience and called for the bell to ring. 'This is it,' I thought. 'The last hardcore match I'll ever be in.' I took a deep breath and we locked up. Jonah brought me into a side headlock and I fought against him. The crowd cheered for me, always knowing that when they see me in a hardcore match, they're going to get one hell of a show. I dropped to one knee and pushed him into the ropes. He bounced off them, back to me, and I brought him down in a tornado DDT. I quickly slid out of the ring and reached under the ring, throwing out various items before pulling out a kendo stick. A sadistic grin crossed my face and I started to slide back into the ring, only to be caught by a baseball slide to the face. I dropped the stick and rammed my back into the barricade. Jonah climbed out of the ring and picked me up, hovering over the barricade, my face connected with it. My hands quickly covered my jaw as I stumbled around. Suddenly I hit the mat from a German suplex and Jonah covered me for the pin. I quickly kicked out and he pulled me up to my feet. He whipped me into the steps and the force caused me to do a back roll. I curled up in the fetal position as Jonah started slamming a two by four into my back. I screamed out in pain with each shot and soon he was hooking my leg. I kicked out on two. Jonah growled at me and went to the ring, searching for something more brutal to attack me with. I took a few deep breaths as I tried to collect myself and push my pain aside. I crawled to my feet and picked up the kendo stick I had once thought of using. Jonah was in perfect position for a harsh slam to the back of the head. I swung as hard as I could and a mind shattering smack could be heard throughout the whole arena.  
  
"WOOO!" the crowd chanted. The kendo stick had broken into two as Jonah dropped to the floor holding the back of his head. I pulled him up and dragged him to the ramp. I brought him down quickly onto the hard steel in a snap suplex and covered him. He kicked out.  
  
"Strong son of a bitch," I sneered as I stood. I looked down at him and started kicking him in the ribs. He grabbed my foot and pushed me down with a grunt of pain. I landed hard on the ramp, the fall knocking the wind out of me. I laid there, still, trying to recover my breath as Jonah recovered and was standing over me. He straddled me, with a steel pipe in hand, and brought it up to my throat, no doubt trying to choke me out. I struggled and eventually brought his head down to mine, connecting it with as much force as possible. He rolled off me and I grabbed at my throat, coughing, struggling for air. I made it to my feet and we fought our way up the ramp. Now on the stage I hit with a hard right and he staggered a bit, stars evident in his eyes. I grabbed his head and brought his jaw down on the top of my head in a mind blowing jaw breaker that Jeff would have been proud of. I pulled him to his feet and started to slam his head onto the titantron, only to have him reverse and my head slam against the picture. He quickly brought me down in a back slide, but somehow I managed to move out of it. He released a primal yell and moved to do a leg drop, only he connected with the stage instead of me, for I had rolled out of the way. He grabbed his ass as I struggled to stand. Light blood trickled down my forehead and wiped it with my hand. I took a deep breath as Jonah and I looked at each other with deep hatred. I was the first to make a move, nail the right of his head with my fist and he moved back. We went back and forth with punches until we had dropped down onto the announcers' platform. Tazz and Josh had long since run off for fear that we'd be there. Jonah went to whip me into the steps from the stage to the platform, but I reversed and he slammed, chest first, into the desk. I quickly lifted him up and rolled him onto the desk. I climbed up onto the highest point of the desk and gave the camera and crowd the memorable Jeff shrug before performing a tight Halo's Twist. The desk broke from under us from the impact.  
  
"Holy shit! Holy shit!" the crowd chanted excitedly as I put my body on top of Jonah's. The ref counted the pin and the match was over.  
  
'KUAN!!  
  
its authentic, apocalyptic destroyer  
  
damaging challengers -- resurrection, disorder  
  
a monument of crisis - eye strikes this - your dead  
  
line my nest with your soul -- cleansed in bloodshed'  
  
"And here is your winner, the final WWE Hardcore Champion, MYSTIC ANGEL!!!" And with that announcement, the Hardcore belt was retired, never to be brought back again.  
  
Jonah and I were helped into the back and were quickly patched up. I had a large bandage over my left eye and a bunch of scratches from the broken pieces of the desk on my back. Nothing major to be worried about. After the main event of Triple H vs. Randy Orton for the Undisputed Championship the ring was set up for a sort of ceremony. There was a black carpet placed in the ring and set up in the middle were two pedestals. One holding the old WWF Hardcore Championship belt with the Hardcore Legend's name, Mick Foley, on it and the other empty. Various superstars filled the ring and Vince stood in the middle of it all with Stephanie and Shane on either side of him.  
  
"Now as many of you are aware, tonite you witnessed the last Hardcore title match to ever take place in the WWE. We will be retiring the belt in a few moments," Vince announced as Shane held the belt that I had just won up to the crowd, who cheered loudly. "The title was put on the shelf in the year 2002. It was brought back and has been a strong title since then. And it's only fitting that the person who brought it back, retires it. So, Mystic Angel, please come out here."  
  
'KUAN!!  
  
its authentic, apocalyptic destroyer  
  
damaging challengers -- resurrection, disorder  
  
a monument of crisis - eye strikes this - your dead  
  
line my nest with your soul -- cleansed in bloodshed'  
  
I limped down the ramp, a smile on my face, to a crowd who was on their feet, cheering for me. I climbed into the ring and faced Vince. He smiled at me and handed me a microphone. "Congratulations Angel. You are the undisputed, number one, WWE hardcore champion." Shane handed me the belt and I looked down at it, rubbing my hand over the gold, seeing my name etched permanently into it. I held it up to the crowd and again the cheered for me.  
  
"Wow, I don't know what to say. There have been so many before me and it's just an honor to be on a list with all of the wonderful previous champions. To be on the same list as Raven, Hardcore Holly, Crash Holly, Bradshaw," I paused and thought. "And of course, Mick Foley." The crowd grew louder as the ever famous car crash of Foley's music was heard. The crowd got to their feet as the elderly Mick Foley walked towards the ring. He climbed into the ring and we all stood and clapped.  
  
"Angel, it's an honor to have you on that list. You are talented, beautiful, and one hell of a woman!" he laughed. "When you came onto the scene, I knew I wouldn't be the Hardcore Legend for long. I knew you'd take over that name in no time. So I'm willing to share that name with you." He took one side of the belt and lifted it into the air, motioning for me to do the same with my end.  
  
"I'd like to present to you Mystic Angel and Mick Foley, WWE's Hardcore Legends!" Vince announced. Once the crowd calmed down a bit, we lowered the belt and I held it close to my body.  
  
"I just want to say that I'm dedicating this win and this belt to my fallin best friend who I love more than anything, Jeff Hardy! He's missed everyday and I know that without him, none of this would have been possible," I smiled.  
  
"Well, Angel, it's time to retire the belt," Vince grinned. I nodded and placed it on the empty pedestal. A clear cover was placed over it and we all celebrated in the ring till long after the RAW was over.  
  
*********************  
  
"Are you and Matt seriously opening a training center?" I questioned as I tossed a ball in the living room with Nero.  
  
"Yeah, we're real excited about it," Shane beamed as he sat on the couch. "We've already got some people signed up."  
  
"That's great sweetie," I smiled as Nero walked off to play with some blocks. I sat on the couch next to Shane and kissed him before feeling slightly sick.  
  
"You okay?" he asked brushing hair off my face.  
  
"I don't know. I haven't been feeling well for the past 2 weeks," I sighed putting my hand on my stomach.  
  
"Well, maybe you should see a doctor Angel."  
  
"Um, no doctors. I'm sure I'm fine," I replied before jumping up and running off.  
  
"Daddy, is mommy sick?" Nero questioned as Shane pulled him onto his lap. Shane ruffed up Nero's short spiky dark brown hair and smiled.  
  
"Looks that way," Shane shook his head as I walked back to them. I sat on the couch and Nero reached up to kiss my cheek.  
  
"Feel better mommy," he grinned at me. I chuckled as he slid off Shane's lap and started playing with his blocks again.  
  
"God I love him," I smiled.  
  
"Me too. Ya know, I wouldn't mind having another one of him around. That'd be a great birthday present," Shane winked at me. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. Shane leaned over and whispered in my ear, "We could always sent him to my parents for the week and be pregnant by my birthday this Saturday."  
  
"Such the," I paused and jumped up once again.  
  
"Sweet talker?!" he yelled after me. The only sound I made was the one of me puking in the bathroom. I walked back out and motioned for Shane to come to me. "What?"  
  
"I don't think you have to wait till Saturday to be pregnant," I whispered.  
  
"What?" he questioned more than a little confused.  
  
"I think we're going to have a baby," I bit on my lip. Shane's eyes lit up with happiness as he picked me up in his arms and spun me in a circle. Nero stopped playing and looked at us, wondering what all the ruckus was about. Shane set me down on the floor and grabbed my face in his hands, pulling me towards his face. He placed a harsh, but not painful, kiss on my lips. I started to laugh at his happiness and Nero walked towards us.  
  
"Mommy? Daddy?" he questioned pulling my Shane's jeans.  
  
Shane picked Nero up in his arms and kissed his cheek. "How would you like to be a big brother?" Shane asked.  
  
Nero tilted his head in thought and smiled. "I'll have a little brother?"  
  
"Or a little sister sweetie," I smiled rubbing his arm. He reached for me and I took him in my arms. We looked into each other's bright blue eyes. "Would you be alright with that?"  
  
"Uh-huh," he nodded hugging my neck.  
  
"Well, now you'd better be pregnant, now that Nero's all excited. Can't let him down," Shane smirked.  
  
"Let who down?" I laughed as I carried Nero upstairs, Shane followed me closely.  
  
"Okay, okay, you caught me. Can't let me down either," he replied.  
  
"Thought so," I said pulling out a shirt for Nero to nap in. Nero lifted his arms over his head and Shane pulled the old shirt off and started tickling his stomach. Nero giggled as I stood there watching, waiting, with my hand on my hip, holding one of Jeff's old Hardy Boyz t- shirts. Yeah, it was big, but he loved it, and it always helped him sleep. Shane looked up at me and smiled. He pulled the shirt over Nero's head and picked him up, pretending to fly him to his bed. Shane pulled the covers up to Nero's chin and kissed his forehead. I walked over and did the same. "Have a good nap sweetie."  
  
Shane and I started to walk out of Nero's room when he called us back. "Where do babies come from?" Shane and I stopped dead in our tracks and glanced at each other, both of us fearing that THE question would be coming sooner or later, we were just hoping for later. "Where do babies come from?" Nero persisted in knowing. Shane I turned around and smiled at out son.  
  
"Well, Nero, you see, when two people love each other, like your mother and I," Shane started.  
  
"They write the baby factory and 9 months later a baby is flown in to us by a large white stork," I answered nudging Shane in the stomach.  
  
"Oh............what's a stork?" Nero questioned.  
  
"A stork is a bird," Shane answered with a nod.  
  
"Thank you Captain explanation," I rolled my eyes. I placed another kiss on Nero's forehead. "Is that it?"  
  
"Yep! I love you Mommy," he smiled.  
  
"I love you too," I grinned.  
  
"I love you too Daddy."  
  
"Love you Nero." Shane and I left Nero's room for him to sleep. When we reached the living room, we curled up on the couch.  
  
"Should I be scared?" I asked.  
  
"Why would you be scared? We have one healthy boy, why wouldn't we have another?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe that's just something mother's question."  
  
"Well don't. You're healthy, I'm healthy, Nero's healthy, I'm sure this baby will be no different."  
  
"Well, here's another year taken off from work," I sighed.  
  
"Good, that means more time for the three of us to be together," Shane smiled hugging me tightly.  
  
"Correction, the FOUR of us," I laughed.  
  
***************  
  
A/N2: Alright, I think this is the second to the last chapter. So I'm almost positive that the next one will be the last one. I think that's it. I hope ya'll like this chapter. The song I used was "Battle Ready" by Otep. 


	36. Hold Onto The Nights

A/N: Sorry that this has taken so long to get out. I've been VERY busy. I recently got a car. 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. It's blue. Lol Nah, it's a totally awesome car. But since then I've been on the run trying to find a job. I have to pay for the car and in 4 months I'll be paying rent for an apartment. Plus any extra money for things ::cougheyebrowringcoughtattoocough::. Lol Yeah, all the things my mom has told me never to get. Yes, I'm the rebellious one in my family. EXTREMELY rebellious compared to my sisters. Ah well, makes life interesting. Anyways, this is the last chapter. And yes I've thrown in some drama. I couldn't leave without throwing out that last bit of drama. And I also decided to throw a twist on things. Damn I'm gonna miss this series. I love ya'll for sticking with it. And as soon as things calm down a bit, I'll get working again on my other stories. It's amazing how one simple little thing like a car can make your life so hectic. So leave some farewell reviews for me!!  
  
**********************  
  
"I'm so happy to see you, Darlin," dad said as Shane, Nero, and I walked into the house. K and Ben ran out of the living room to greet Nero before pulling him into the playroom. I laughed and stood up on my tip toes to hug the large man.  
  
"Yeah, I missed you Daddy," I smiled.  
  
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" he questioned as Shane shook the man's hand before bringing our bags up to the guest room.  
  
"Yeah, um, let's sit down," I sighed.  
  
"Oh no. Last time this all happened you told me that you and Shane had eloped," he groaned.  
  
"Nothing like that. Although you will be shocked at what I have to say," I nodded following him into the living room. Shane joined us and sat next to me, across from the deadman.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"Well, happy news first," I smiled. "As I'm sure you can tell........." I pulled my tank top a bit tighter over my 3 month pregnant belly. "I'm pregnant."  
  
"Oh sweetie, that's great!" he exclaimed happily moving to kiss my cheek. "When do we find out what it is?"  
  
"Next month. I'm due March 1st, though," I replied.  
  
"Congratulations you two. That explains why you've been taken off tv," he laughed.  
  
"Yeah, well, don't expect me to be returning anytime soon," I sighed.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Well, as you know, Shane and Matt have opened up one of the most popular training centers and they're doing really well. There's even talk of the WWE sponsoring them and making The Imagi-Nation a training center under OVW," I explained.  
  
"Meaning?"  
  
"Meaning that instead of the developmental wrestlers going right to OVW, they'll stop at The Imagi-Nation and train there for awhile. Plus it's open to the public and anyone that's fit enough to be a WWE wrestler will be noticed and possibly brought up to OVW and then up to WWE tv," Shane answered.  
  
"Alright, well that's excellent. But what does The Imagi-Nation have to do with you not being on tv?"  
  
"Well, I've been thinking and Shane and I have talked this over. Nero's going to be going to school soon and with the new baby on the way, it's going to be hard for me to travel so much. I think I'm going to retire," I said nervously.  
  
"Retire?!" Dad exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, I don't want to miss out on any of Nero's life or the new baby's life either. So what I'm thinking about doing is retire from wrestling and help Shane and Matt out. Especially after I deliver."  
  
"I can't believe this. I never thought I would ever hear you thinking about retiring."  
  
"Well, it's gotta happen sometime Daddy. We can't keep shipping Nero off to his grandparents' houses. It's not fair to him or to them."  
  
"Case, you love your job."  
  
"Yes, but I love my baby more. I think it's for the best. At least right now. I mean there's nothing saying I have to retire permanently."  
  
"That's very true." He sighed and ran a hand through is hair. He smiled slightly and shook his head. "Well, as long as you're happy, then do whatever you want."  
  
"Besides, I'm like the only original Diva there. Amy retired right after Matt did. And once Trish had Ryan and Bridget, she became a full time mother and house wife. Nora married Chris and their working on a family, so she's out. Victoria's knee just finally gave out. And Torrie, Stacy, Dawn Marie, and Nidia are all too busy with their families to be full time divas now," I said.  
  
"Very true. How is Trish dealing with the twins?" he grinned slouching down in his seat.  
  
"She's doing fine. Ryan's a little trouble maker and Bridget seems to be more of the pretty queen type. But Trish is loving every second of all the mischief," I laughed.  
  
"I bet they're beautiful little girls."  
  
"They are. Bridget has Trish's beautiful brown eyes and Ryan has Chad's dark gray blue eyes. That seems to be the only difference between the two," Shane replied.  
  
"Yeah? How does Nero take to them?"  
  
"They're so funny. Bridget has like a crush on him. She blushes and is really shy when he's there. And Ryan's like Nero's best friend. They wrestle each other all the time."  
  
"And Crystal and Shannon's daughter?"  
  
"Willow's very studious. She loves to read. So she doesn't pay much attention to Nero. But Aurora just LOVES Nero. She's always trying to kiss him."  
  
"Yeah, Aurora is quite the boy chaser. She's going to be a heartbreaker when she gets older," Shane laughed putting his arm around me. I smiled at him before running off to the bathroom.  
  
"Is she alright?" Dad asked.  
  
"Yeah, she's still getting "morning" sickness," Shane shook his head.  
  
"Well good, that gives us men some time to talk," Dad grinned placing his elbows on his knees. Shane swallowed hard and took a deep breath.  
  
"Um, talk, sir?" Shane questioned.  
  
"Yes, talk."  
  
"About?"  
  
"About you and my daughter," Dad said crossing his large burly arms over his chest.  
  
"Ah, I see........."  
  
"What I want to know is what's the real reason to her retiring? What have you done or said to put it in her head that she needs to be home with the children at all times?"  
  
"Sir, I haven't done anything or said anything to influence her decision one little bit. This was all her. We discussed it and I even tried to talk her out of it, but in the end she decided it was time for her to settle down. I swear."  
  
"Hmm............and this training center is going to bring in enough money for you all to survive?"  
  
"Oh yes! More than. We have quite a lot of students. I personally think it's because they loved the idea of being taught by a Hardy," Shane joked. Dad gave him a stern look. "But it's going well, and like we said earlier, Matt and I are talking with the WWE about making it another developmental training center. We're doing very well for ourselves."  
  
"Alright, next thing I want to know is, will you be there for the delivery? You missed out on one child being born. Leaving your friend to do the dirty work. You should have been there son."  
  
"I know. And I tried, really I did. But Nero was born 3 weeks early. I had the whole week he was supposed to be due already off, just so I'd be there. But I can't help it if he's an impatient kid," Shane laughed. "I'll definitely be there for this one. I don't want to miss one second. I'll be there the entire time."  
  
"You had better be," Dad growled as I walked into the living room and sat back down next to Shane.  
  
**********************  
  
"Aurora Sky Moore, you get your butt back here!" Crystal called to the 3 year old brunette who decided it would be a good idea to run around the store we had currently stopped into in the mall. I laughed as Crystal let out an exasperated sigh. Willow rolled her eyes and took her younger sister's hand. Crystal shook her head and looked down at Nero who was standing there quietly next to me, holding onto the hem on my jeans. "I wish she could be a bit more like Nero. I can't believe how well behaved he is."  
  
"Yeah, I thank God everyday for that," I smiled as I put my hand on my stomach, which had grown quite a lot, although it was very much expected being that I was in my 6th month. "I just hope she's as good as he is."  
  
"Have you guys decided on a name for her yet?" Crystal asked as we began to roam the store a bit.  
  
"We're kinda undecided. We like Alexandra Michelle, Alana Mae, and Megan Lynn. I'm pushing for Alexandra," I replied.  
  
"They're all really pretty. I'm sure she'll be just as pretty as her name," Crystal smiled as Aurora ran under one of the clothes racks we were standing near. "Aurora!" The little girl peeked her head through the clothes and giggled as Nero sat on the floor next to me, patiently watching me look through the clothes rack. Crystal picked up a light blue tank top and held it up to me. "Oh, this is nice. You should definitely get it for after the pregnancy."  
  
"I do like it," I grinned turning around to look at a mirror. I turned back and looked to the floor. I gasped as I searched around the area quickly. "He's gone. Mmmmy baby is gone!" Crystal dropped the shirt on the floor and helped me search the store while Willow and Aurora followed. "Nero!!" I yelled out hoping he'd respond. "Crystal, he's gone." I began to cry as she put her arms around me, embracing me in a hug.  
  
"Shh, it'll be okay. We'll find him. We'll go report him missing to the service desk in the middle of the mall," Crystal said calmly leading me out of the store, making sure that her daughters were holding her hands tightly.  
  
"My son, he's gone. I was looking at a shirt and when I turned around he was gone!" I cried to a mall security.  
  
"You're going to have to describe him to me. What's he look like? How old is he? What's his name?" he reeled off questions to me.  
  
"He's got blue eyes, spiky brown hair, he's 3, and his name is Nero Helms. He's wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt and blue jeans with baby nikes in green and white," I explained through my tears of fear. "Please find my baby. I can't lose him!"  
  
"We'll try our best ma'am. I'm sure he didn't stray too far," he smiled down at me. I took a deep breath and turned my head towards the store I had lost Nero in. Walking towards me was an older lady holding the hand of my son. I crouched on the floor, as best as I could, as a happy smile crossed my face. Nero's face lit up and he ran to me as quickly as he could. He wrapped his arms around my neck and I held him close to my body as I stood. We pulled away from each other and I kissed his cheek.  
  
"Oh God, I thought I had lost you," I smiled as tears continued to run down my face. "Don't ever do that to mommy again!"  
  
"I'm sorry," he replied.  
  
"I'm assuming that's her son?" the security office questioned Crystal.  
  
"Yes, that'd be him. Thank you," she smiled.  
  
"Where'd you go?" I asked as I set Nero on the floor.  
  
"I just hid in the rack of clothes. Like Aura did," he answered looking up at me with puppy dog eyes.  
  
"Just because Aurora did something, doesn't mean you should too, okay? You can't leave mommy's side like that. I thought you had been taken from me. You scared me baby," I said.  
  
"I didn't mean to," he shook his head. I sighed and looked at the woman who had been with him. I gasped slightly and a glare was evident on my face. "This lady stayed with me mommy. She made sure I found you."  
  
"I see," I nodded at him. "Thank you."  
  
"He's a sweet boy," she smiled.  
  
"Yeah, he is," I growled.  
  
"Do you want me to take him for a bit?" Crystal whispered in my ear. I nodded at her and bent down to Nero. I fixed his hair a bit and smiled.  
  
"Why don't you go with Auntie Crystal and get some ice cream, okay?" I said.  
  
"Okay mommy," he smiled happily at me as he took Crystal's hand.  
  
"Be sure to get me some too, okay?" I smiled.  
  
"Chocolate with chocolate spinkles and rainbow spinkles," he replied.  
  
"You know it kiddo," I laughed. He ran of with Crystal and her girls, leaving me with the lady.  
  
"He's very polite. I'm glad to see you taught him how to behave," she smirked. "I'm assuming that he's yours."  
  
"Of course he's mine," I shot back.  
  
"Your's and Jeff's little boy, right?"  
  
"No," I sighed. I took a deep breath and continued, "He's mine and Shane's."  
  
"Didn't you marry Jeff?"  
  
"No, I didn't. It didn't work out. Look, I don't know what you're doing here, or why you insist on haunting me like this. But this will be the last time you'll see me or my son," I growled.  
  
"You should have told me. I believe I have a right to know that I have a grandson. What's his name?"  
  
"He's not your grandson. He's not any relation to you. He doesn't know you and he never will."  
  
"What's his name?" she pushed.  
  
"Gregory Nero," I answered placing my hands on my hips.  
  
"That's an odd name."  
  
"I really don't care. He's loved and that's all that matters."  
  
"Well of course it is. But I deserved to know about him being born!"  
  
"You lost all your rights a LONG time ago. Why can't you just leave me alone!?"  
  
"How old is he?'  
  
"A little over 3 years old."  
  
"Ya know, he kind of reminds me of Jeff only with dark hair," she said pointing towards Nero who had just sat down with the others in the food court. I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled.  
  
"Just a coincidence," I shrugged.  
  
"You've gained weight. Aren't you still doing that job of yours?"  
  
"I've gained weight like any normal pregnant woman would."  
  
"Oh, congratulations. How far along?"  
  
"6 months. And it's a girl. And no you'll never see her."  
  
"Fine. I'm sure she'll have a wonderful life. Well, I'm leaving now. It was good to see you Casey. Whether you believe it or not. Nero is a fine little boy and will probably a wonderful man when he grows up. Good luck."  
  
"Mom, thank you for keeping Nero with you," I nodded at her. She smiled at me and walked away. I took a deep breath and put on a brave face as I walked to the table. I picked Nero up in my arms and sat him on my lap.  
  
"Who was that?" Crystal asked.  
  
"My mother," I grinned.  
  
"Look Mommy, I got your ice cream!" I giggled as he picked up the spoon in the bowl and proceeded to feed it to me. With my lips covered in ice cream, I placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek.  
  
******************  
  
"Can I see Jeff?" Nero asked as we walked in the door from our eventful day shopping. Nero brought a smile to my face as his blue eyes seemed to sparkle with pride when he mentioned Jeff's name.  
  
"Of course you can," I nodded setting my keys on the table by the door. Nero cuddled up on the couch with his blanket and Jeff Hardy action figure while I popped in a tape. I kissed the top of Nero's head and smiled before walking away.  
  
I walked into the kitchen and started making dinner, Nero's favorite, spaghetti. I placed my hands on the counter as I listened to the tape being played in the living room. I heard Jeff's voice and smiled when Nero's giggles filled my ears. It wasn't too much later when Shane walked in the house from a long day at the center, training.  
  
"Hey kiddo," Shane said as I watched him place a kiss on the top of Nero's head. Nero looked up at Shane and smiled. Shane ruffled up Nero's hair a bit and moved towards the kitchen. "Honey, I'm home!"  
  
"So I hear," I grinned receiving a deep kiss from my husband. "How was work?"  
  
"Great, the kids are really progressing nicely," he nodded as he revealed a bundle of red roses out from behind his back. "I love you."  
  
"Oh Shane, they're beautiful. But what are they for?" I questioned sniffing each and every one of the 12.  
  
"Just because. Because you're carrying my daughter. Because you're still married to me. Because I love you. And because you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and roses can never compare to your beauty," he smiled.  
  
"Sweet talker," I laughed filling a vase with water. I sighed deeply and closed my eyes, turning the facet off.  
  
"Baby, are you okay?" Shane worried as he walked up behind me. He rubbed my shoulders gently and I began to sniffle and push back tears. I turned around and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes.  
  
"He was gone Shane. I thought I had lost him forever," I cried burying my head in his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me and combed his fingers through my hair.  
  
"Shh, sweetie, what are you talking about? Who did you think you lost?"  
  
"Nero."  
  
"But he's right in the living room," Shane chuckled pointing to the little boy sitting on the couch watching Jeff fly through the air.  
  
"Now he is. He left my side for one minute. I thought someone had taken him. And then she was there, with him, holding his hand, until I found him."  
  
"I'm confused. She, who?"  
  
"My mother."  
  
"What?!" Shane exclaimed gripping onto my shoulders. "What did she do? Did she hurt him? Did she hurt you?"  
  
"No, we're fine. She protected him. Watched him. She let him go when he saw me. It's like she truly cared for his well being," I blinked, letting loose a new set of tears. For the first time, I saw her as my mom. Not as Judy. But my mom."  
  
"Huh.............so, what happened?"  
  
"Nero did an Aurora. He hid in the clothes racks. And I thought he'd been taken. So I ran to the security to desk and then he was there. With my mom right by his side."  
  
"Well, he's fine now, Angel. I'm sure he'll never do anything like that again," Shane gave me a half smile and ran his hand down my wet cheek.  
  
"I was so scared Sugar. God, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost him," I said shaking my head.  
  
"Probably another Jeff thing. He was probably looking after Nero the whole time. He would have taken Nero back to you eventually," Shane winked at me. I smiled and nodded knowing that he was right.  
  
********************  
  
A month later and well into January, I found myself in front of Jeff's headstone. I smiled at it, no longer feeling the need to cry when around it. I had somehow managed to sit on the ground, though cold, it had no snow and was dry. I would worry about getting up when that time had come. I took a deep breath and looked up at the bright blue sky.  
  
"As you can tell, I'm pregnant again. It's a girl this time. Shane and I decided on a name too. Alexandra Michelle. So..........." I paused and blue a raspberry at the stone. I laughed and shook my head. "Jeff, you know this isn't a regular visit. You know I came here for a purpose. These monthly visits are getting, well, a little tedious, I suppose. I love coming here and talking to you. You know that. But............"  
  
My smile faded and I closed my eyes tightly, thinking hard about what I was about to say. I had to say it perfectly so nothing would be misunderstood. This was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do.  
  
"I think I need to let you go. It's been years now and you're still the number one thing on my mind. I know that you'll always be there, but something's got to give. Jeff I love you so much. You know that more than anybody." I ran my hand along the cold marble. "But I've thought long and hard about this and have decided it best that I stop coming here. This is my last visit. But don't think that you'll go forgotten. You won't. There's know way I could forget about you," I laughed as a tear ran down my cheek. "How could I when everytime I look at Nero, I see you?"  
  
"I figure that if I stop coming then my life will go on easier. I'll put other things first and fore most. Visiting you won't be the number one thing on my mind. You'll always be in my heart Jeff. You'll always be there in everything I do. And in everything he does." I thought about Nero for a moment, and all the features he had. His nose, his grin, his face, it all just screamed Jeff. "That nite was the best nite of my life. And I'll never forget what you gave me. You gave me the best gift anyone could give me. You gave me Nero. And that will go to the grave with me. I thank you everyday for the precious gift you gave me that nite. And how willing you were to just let it all go. To not care that he'll never know about.........well, his father." I kissed the stone and thought back to the nite Nero was conceived.  
  
'Just when I believed I couldn't ever want for more  
  
This ever changing world pushes me through another door'  
  
"Jeff, I'm so worried. What if for whatever reason, Shane and I can't have kids?" I cried as I sat on his bed in the hotel room. He sat next to me, rubbing my arm comfortingly.  
  
"Babe, you got checked out. You're fine," he replied.  
  
"I am, but what if he's not?" I questioned.  
  
"Didn't you tell him that you went to the doctor's?"  
  
"No, I couldn't. I just kept thinking that he would think it's his fault we can't get pregnant. I want this Jeff. I want it so badly," I cried onto his shoulder.  
  
'I saw you smile  
  
And my mind could not erase the beauty of you face'  
  
He placed his hand under my chin, and raised my head so that I could look into his eyes. He had a smile on his face and his green eyes sparkled brightly. "I know this is going to be the stupidest idea ever. And that you're going to say no. But think of about it, okay? Just for 5 minutes even," he said before taking a deep breath. "We were already pregnant, you and me. If we could to it once, we could do it again. I want you to be happy. And if you being happy means that you raise my child as Shane's, then so be it."  
  
"I don't understand, Jeff."  
  
"Casey, I'm willing to give you what you want. I'll sleep with you, if you think there's a chance you might get pregnant from it. And I'm not asking for any part in the baby's life, if we should be successful. No one would have to know except you and me. The baby could be yours and Shane's. I'm alright with that."  
  
"Jeff, no, that's wrong. I cheated on one man I loved already. I won't do it again," I replied.  
  
'Just for awhile  
  
Won't you let me shelter you'  
  
"Casey, this could be you're only chance to have a baby. One that's yours. Don't think of it as cheating. Think of it as creating something great out of love," he said. I looked into his face, seeing the seriousness on it.  
  
"I don't know Jeff. I don't think I feel comfortable about it," I shook my head.  
  
"Like I said, just think about it. You don't have to make a decision right now."  
  
'Hold on to the nights  
  
Hold on to the memories'  
  
I sat there, thinking about what this could do to me, Jeff, and Shane. If all went well, Shane and I would have a baby and no one would know the truth about it all. If I didn't get pregnant, than it was no big deal, nothing had really changed. If it all went bad, I could lose everything. Was I truly willing to take that chance?  
  
'I wish that I could give you something more  
  
That I could be yours'  
  
I looked into Jeff's eyes, once again, and saw the love that he still had for me. I wanted to believe that this was all a selfish act, that he just wanted to have one last nite of love with me. But his eyes told me otherwise. I knew that he was doing this out of purely non selfish reasons and that he truly did care for me and wanted me to have a baby with Shane.  
  
'How do we explain something that took us by surprise  
  
Promises in vain, love that is real but in disguise'  
  
"Jeff, this is probably going to be a BIG mistake, but yes. I want this too much to pass up a chance like this. God I'm taking such a big risk by doing this, but I want this so badly. And I know you can make it happen," I cried. He smiled and wiped my cheeks gently with his sleeve.  
  
"Alright. We just have to be careful. Make sure that no one finds out about this. And like I said, I want you to be happy. If this will make you happy, than let's do it, no pun intended," he joked making me laugh. I bit on my lip and nodded.  
  
Taking the first step, I leaned over and kissed him, feeling an electric shock go through my body. He moved his hands all over my back and reaching under my shirt to pull it over my head. He threw it on the floor and smiled at me. "Are you positive you want to do this?" he questioned.  
  
"Yeah, I am," I replied.  
  
'Do we break another rule  
  
Let our lovers play the fool  
  
I don't know how  
  
To stop feeling this way'  
  
Yeah, maybe I was making the biggest mistake of my life, but it could also turn out to be the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Jeff always wanted me to be happy. No matter what happened between the two of us, he loved me. Truly, madly, deeply. The best thing I could have ever asked for. And him giving me a part him to make a child, well, that was just another step of his love for me.  
  
'Hold on to the nights  
  
Hold on to the memories  
  
I wish that I could give you something more  
  
That I could be yours'  
  
I smiled laying my head on Jeff's bare sweaty chest. I could feel it rise with every in take of air. He held onto me, protecting me, loving me, never letting me go. Something inside me made me feel, happy, almost giddy. And I had Jeff to thank for that.  
  
'Well, I think that I've been true to everybody else but me  
  
And the way I feel about you makes my heart long to be free'  
  
Even though what was made that nite was something special, a feeling for Jeff, that I had pushed back had come forward. I was in love with him again that nite. And I knew from that moment on I would always be in love with him. But only I was to know that.  
  
'Everytime I look into your eyes, I'm helplessly aware  
  
That the someone I've been searching for is right there'  
  
I sighed as I looked out over the cemetery, snow falling lightly from the sky which had clouded up during my mind lapse to the past. I saw him, I know I did. He stood there, helped me up, and smiled. His green eyes were the brightest part about him. Little hazel specks stood out amongst the color and I knew the man I loved was a part of the past.  
  
'Hold on to the nights  
  
Hold on to the memories'  
  
"I understand what you're doing. It's time. And it's time for me to let you go too. I'll always be there in dire needs, but you don't need me, not the way you used to. If you fall, I won't be there to pick you up anymore. If you cry, I won't be there to wipe your tears away. If you're scared, I won't be there to fight your fears. You're on your on now," he spoke softly.  
  
"I will always love you Jeff. And I will always make sure that Nero knows you. That Nero knows what a great person you are. He'll always carry a bit of you in him. You are a part him and I see that everyday that I look at him. He's your son. And always will be," I cried even though I had a smile on my face.  
  
'I wish that I could give you something more  
  
That I could be yours'  
  
"That's all I ask. Remember, you'll always have your memories. I love you Casey," he started to fade away, leaving these words in a whisper, "I'm your star."  
  
I laughed as my tears dripped on the ground. I looked up at the sky and nodded. I crossed my arms, and started to walk away, never looking back.  
  
*************************  
  
On March 1st, right on the due date, Alexandra Michelle was born. Shane was right there by my side. The 7 lbs, 3 oz, baby girl looked just like her father. It was amazing the resemblance. And Nero, well, he was quite smitten with his little sister. I could tell he was going to be a very responsible big brother. We had a family.  
  
I never went back to Jeff's burial site. Though I talked to him a few times, but only when I felt I needed him the most. Shane and Matt's training center became WWE's top developmental training place. When Shannon retired, he too became a trainer. They taught some of the best new cruiserweights. They were definitely in their element.  
  
As for my job, I went back to the WWE when Nero started preschool and Alexandra turned one. It was only a job on the creative team, but it was a great place to start. About a year later I was brought up to TV and was a co-GM for the RAW brand with Adam. Nero and Alexandra went with me when they could.  
  
A couple years later, Gil died. It was hard. I had lost some else very close to me. Nero missed him most of all. He was 8 when he died. He missed fishing with his grandfather most of all and hearing all the crazy stories about Jeff and Matt. As Nero got older, he began to look more and more like me. Only keeping the dark hair from his real father's side of the family. No one ever found out about mine and Jeff's secret.  
  
I look back now and see the life I had was a dream come true. It was full of hard times, sad times, but more importantly, it had good times. Those good times stand out amongst all the bad times, as they should. I learned a lot from every experience that I had. And I grew from all of them too. You have to take whatever life throws at you and not dwell in the past. You have to be strong and you have to let people into your life. Don't push them away. Love your life, your friends, your family, but most of all, love yourself. You're the only one that truly should matter to you. Put you first and worry about others later. Just know that you'll survive and that somewhere, someone, believes in you.  
  
********************  
  
A/N: Well, how was that for an ending, huh? I had like 50 different endings I was thinking bout doing. This one was one of them and obviously won. Lol I was gonna keep Jeff alive. I was going to not have Nero be Jeff's son. I was going to end it with Jeff saying he was leaving Casey and not the other way around. And then the one that I was really considering doing, having Casey wake up and the past, ummm, 10 years be nothing but a dream. Lol Meaning she would wake up in her home in Maine at the age of 18. Back to where it all started. And she just dreamt about running away and all the stuff that happened. But I figured I couldn't do that to ya'll. Lol There were a few other options. But I thought this was a pretty good ending. So, umm, the song was Richard Marx "Hold onto the Nights". That's it. GOODBYE EVERYONE!!! I'll hopefully see ya'll soon with one of my other stories which I will get to soon, hopefully. Lol I'm also now very in love with the name Aurora Sky. I think it's just a very beautiful name. And I'm not very happy with this chapter. It came out better in my head than it did when I typed it up. Ah well, it'll do. Leave me some good reviews, k? 


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